Nameless Face

By NiteSkyStar

Note: Ok, to all the people who reviewed…thank you. I’m also taking some suggestions, so I hope you like the IMPROVED prologue! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Ranma ½ characters except for Mara Takano!! Thank ya!!

Prologue

            Nabiki ran.

            Sounds of crashing and cries echoed from behind her. She couldn’t help but grimace a little at the all-too-familiar sounds coming from her house.

            “Ranma take Shampoo on date, yes?” came the bubbly voice of a certain purple-haired amazon.

            “Shampoo…no! Get off!” There was a pause, and a startled gasp. Nabiki swore she heard a low, menacing growl slice through the night. She sighed a little, knowing all too well what had happened. Akane must have walked in on them, most likely to find Shampoo latched onto Ranma. Her guess was correct, of course. Ranma’s futile protests sounded through the evening, his voice begging and pleading to the wrath of the youngest Tendo.

            “Akane! No…Akane, it’s not my fault, let me explain…”

            Nabiki knew exactly what was coming.

            “RANMA, YOU JERK!!!”

            Akane’s scream of rage rang through the night. There was a deafening THWACK, and Nabiki whirled around just in time to see Ranma’s figure sailing through the roof and into the night sky, until he was only a small speck in the distance.

            The girl sighed and shook her head, slowing her pace to a meandering walk. She plodded through the streets of Nerima, the only sounds made by her sneakers making contact with the asphalt. Nabiki looked down at her feet, watching them walk.

            Right, left.

            Right, left.

            It was a pattern that was utterly predictable…a pattern that was followed day by day, night by night. Something that happened over and over again…unless you really thought about it, you could not stop your feet from alternating as you walked. It was a very comfortable pattern…the walk that you were used to, and therefore did not even think about when it occurred.

            Much like the way Akane beat the crap out of Ranma.

            Nabiki sighed again, realizing the comparison she had been making all along. It happened every day. Ranma’s beating was almost inevitable…the members of the household and the neighborhood as well had come to accept it as a part of their daily routine. The neighbors didn’t glance up from their gardening when Akane’s blood-curdling battle cry filled the air, followed by Ranma being booted into high space with her infamous mallet. Everyone would just shake their heads, and say, “Oh, look. There goes that Saotome boy again. Making poor Akane angry like that.”

            But that was the thing.

            That was where they were all wrong.

            Nabiki had been thinking about it a lot lately, and she had finally realized the exact seriousness of the situation.

            Akane beat Ranma up for no good reason. Constantly. And Nabiki had a feeling it was taking it’s toll on him. Sure, at first, it had all been fun and games for her. It had actually been amusing to watch Akane unleash her fury at the cowering Ranma. It had been comical to see Akane produce a mallet from nowhere and boot Ranma into high space, or turn the table over on his head. Nabiki had once found Ranma’s daily beatings quite humorous, almost hysterical. She would just sit back and enjoy the show, laughing quietly to herself. After all, there had been a great deal of money to be made off their fights. And she would just kick back in her chair, throw up her money, and laugh and laugh and laugh.

            But not anymore.

            A blindfold had been taken off her eyes, and suddenly, Nabiki was seeing everything in a new light. She saw the fact that Ranma was more than capable of hitting Akane in return. He could’ve easily blocked, or dodged…but he did nothing. He allowed her to use him as her own personal punching bag. She saw the true emotional pain in Ranma’s expression whenever he saw Akane angry. And lastly, Nabiki finally saw something else…something that tweaked at her heart more than anything else, even if she didn’t like to admit it. She saw, plain as day, the terrible vacant despair in his eyes whenever he tried to explain, and Akane wouldn’t listen to a word he was saying.

            Akane never listened.

            Akane didn’t trust, either. And Nabiki knew that was what a solid, loving relationship was all about. Trust.

            Even though Nabiki hated saying this about her own little sister…she knew it was true. Akane was totally ignorant…unintentionally or by choice she did not know. The second she saw Ranma with another girl, her infamous temper was set off. She looked right past the fact that it was ALWAYS Shampoo or Ukyo or Kodachi who took it to themselves to attach themselves to HIM. She ignored the look of absolute unhappiness on Ranma’s face whenever another one of his fiancées threw herself at him…an expression that was only too easy to see. The fact was, almost all of the things Akane beat Ranma for were not his fault.

            Sure, some might argue that a lot of it was because he provoked her…teasing her and calling her “tomboy”. But, the way Nabiki saw it, that was major bullshit. Ranma was just teasing…and most people would just simply laugh it off. But Akane was an unforgiving figure…and the littlest infraction on Ranma’s part would earn him a one-way ticket into the sky. If only Akane could learn to control that boiling-hot temper of hers…things would be ok. But they had tried everything since the failed wedding…therapy, anger management classes, even an exorcist. No results. Akane remained just as angry…maybe even MORE wrathful than before. The brutality of the beatings was increasing…and eventually, Nabiki knew that if this continued, there could be problems.

            “God, Akane…” Nabiki couldn’t help but mumble to herself. Akane seemed to look past the fact that whenever she had been kidnapped, it was Ranma who had come out to rescue her, sometimes coming close to sacrificing his own life in the process. She was never grateful or thankful. She took Ranma completely for granted…and Nabiki had a feeling in the pit of her stomach, that eventually, if this continued, Akane would end up losing Ranma to another. Besides, she knew that her little sister really *did* care about Ranma, no matter what she said…but Nabiki also knew that a relationship could not be built on love alone. There had to be real desire there…desire to make it work. Both parties had to be willing to work for the relationship, making contributions and sacrifices for a long-lasting relationship. And, Ranma and Akane, even if they *did* in fact love each other, Nabiki saw clear as day that the strength for an enduring relationship was not there. If there was any hope, the two had to be willing to spend time and effort on building their relationship…but Nabiki knew, as a result of their damned pride, that would not happen until they both matured a little. Akane herself was walking a fine line every day…after all, while she thwacked him and called him names, the other contenders for Ranma’s heart were soothing him with kind words and offering him affection and love. If Akane’s behavior kept up, it would only be a matter of time before Ranma, tired and wounded from her abuse, would run to one of the others.

            Akane was running out of time. 

            And Nabiki herself also knew that despite his macho, tough exterior…inside, Ranma was getting hurt. It would hurt anyone, after a while. Sure, at first you might just be pissed and angry. But Nabiki knew that Akane’s beatings could be causing Ranma not only physical damage…but emotional damage as well.

            And she had a feeling in her gut that if this continued, the end of the matter would be bad. Very bad.

            Nabiki’s gut feeling was always right.

            This had to stop. Or things would turn out very ugly.

            So Nabiki had decided to take matters into her own hands, and that was why at that moment, unbeknownst to the rest of her clueless family, she was heading towards the Nerima Police Department.

*          *          *          *

            Officer Mara Takano sat at a desk at the NPD, pouring over some paperwork. She leaned back in the swivel chair, taking a sip of coffee from her mug as she continued to look over the papers. Her eyelids were drooping…this had to be the most boring job on the planet. With a sigh, she propped her long, shapely legs up on the desk, giving the all the male officers quite an eyeful. Two young officers passing grinned and high-fived each other.

            “Hey,” one of them ventured, walking up to her desk. “I haven’t seen you around here before.”

            Mara glanced up, looking slightly annoyed. The young male officer was startled a little by her beautiful eyes…they were a light turquoise color, the ice blue piercing and intense. She was one of the only girls in Japan who didn’t have bangs, the officer thought. Her hair was straight and shimmering, so black it was almost blue, tumbling about her shoulders. The girl was drop-dead gorgeous to be sure.

            “Can I help you in some way?” she asked with forced politeness, chewing on her pen.

            “What’s your name?” he asked with a smile.

            The girl rolled her eyes a little, turning back to her paperwork. “Mara. Mara Takano…but that will be Miss Takano to you,” she replied, not looking up at them.

            The two men exchanged looks, stupid smiles on their faces.

            “Well, I’ll see you around…Miss Takano,” one of them said, emphasizing her name.

            Mara didn’t even reply…just continued thumbing through her papers.

            Looking a bit disappointed, the two men continued on their ways.

            Mara was only 17 years old…she had been a true child prodigy, and graduated from college at the extraordinary age of 14 years old. Her parents had been awfully proud of her accomplishments. “Mara,” her father had said. “Why don’t you become a doctor? Or a lawyer? Or a rocket scientist?” But Mara would not have any of that.

            She wanted to be a police officer. That had been her dream since she was a small child.

            When she was young, she had always enjoyed playing cops and robbers with the local neighborhood kids…being a cop was her favorite. She loved the feeling of victory when she “cuffed” one of the robbers on the opposing team. Just the visions of the policeman on all the TV shows and such made them seem god-like in her young eyes…brave heroes who went around and saved the day. Mara was hooked.

            After all, despite her incredible intelligence and the fact she had an IQ off the charts, Mara had never been all that much interested in science or chemistry or math. It was only because it had all come very easy to her that she had graduated college so early. And as soon as she did that, she went off to pursue her dream.

             Only several years ago, she had gone to the police academy and undergone intense training, preparing herself mentally, physically, and emotionally for a job as demanding as a police officer. Of course, all of the other trainees had looked down at her…they had just sneered, saying that she could never do it. Never. She was just a child. But Mara, with her determination, talent, and pure desire to prove them all wrong…she passed. And now, she was living her dream.

            Mara sighed, relaxing and kicking back in her chair. She was finally living the life she had dreamed of…after several years of very hard work. But it had all paid off. Now, she had achieved her dream, and she wasn’t even at the legal drinking age yet. This was her second day.

            She wasn’t going to screw this one up.

*          *          *          *

            “…and so, I think you should do something about it,” Nabiki said, finishing up the tale of Akane and Ranma.

            The police officers sitting across from her, one old man and one young, just raised an eyebrow at her. “Ranma Saotome?!” one of them asked, looking at her like she was insane. “You mean…only THE toughest, most capable martial artist around here?”

            Nabiki nodded. “One and the same.”

            “Oh, PLEASE!” the other one couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. “Are you trying to tell me that his fiancée…this…this GIRL is beating him up every single day?”

            “Yes,” Nabiki said, not faltering.

            Nabiki stayed calm and collected, only rolling her eyes as the two officers laughed hysterically, banging on the desk, tears streaming down her face.

            “I’m serious,” Nabiki said. “If you don’t believe me, go ahead. But just remember who I am…I’m Nabiki Tendo.” She smirked a little slyly, resembling a fox in that moment. “I have connections. At the snap of my fingers, I can ruin your sad little lives.” She smiled wryly, turning to the older man. “I have pictures, officer…pictures of you and that busty, blonde nurse at your little rendezvous in her apartment…” She reached into her purse, and produced the pictures, holding them up.

            The older policeman’s face turned so red he looked like a ripe tomato. His jaw dropped. “How…how…?”

            “I have my ways,” Nabiki said casually, putting the pictures away. “Now, officer, if you help me…these will never leave the safety of my bag.” She patted her purse like it was some kind of docile house pet. The old man ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head slowly. He stood up, glaring at Nabiki through narrowed eyes.

            “Young lady!!” he yelled, his mustache bristling with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. He pointed an accusatory finger at her. “That is BLACKMAIL!!” He fixed her with his fiercest death stare, one that was guaranteed to make criminals cringe and give in. It had served him faithfully for years…scaring this little girl into submission would be easy.

            But he forgot who he was dealing with.

            “So what if it is?” Nabiki answered carelessly, not batting an eye. “Don’t think of it as “blackmail”, officer. Think of it as…oh, I don’t know. An offer you can’t refuse.” She laughed at her own little joke.

            The officer grimaced. Somebody had seen “The Godfather” waaay to many times. “Young lady,” he tried again, desperate to strike some sort of deal with her. He extended his hand. “Hand over the pictures…NOW. Or you give me NO choice…”

            “Or what?” Nabiki said, sounding slightly amused by the look on the officer’s face. She made no move to get the pictures back out. “What are you going to do, officer? Shoot me?” She chuckled softly. Nabiki was happy to find the older officer was at a loss for words.

            It was the younger officer’s turn to stand up. “Just because you can blackmail him does not mean that you can blackmail me,” he said with infuriating calmness, a cold fire burning in his eyes.

            Nabiki chose to ignore him, and instead addressed both of the officers.

             “Oh, come on. I really think that this could be serious…besides, if you do this, trust me, these pictures will never see the light of day. You’re both two fine, fine law enforcers…and I promise, your assistance in this matter will not be forgotten.” A small smirk. “Remember, I have connections coming out of my ears.”

            The older officer sighed, sitting back down in his chair. He had to give in…he couldn’t have anyone see those pictures! He’d be RUINED! His whole image as a good, law-abiding police officer would be shattered for good! And he couldn’t have THAT. “What do you want us to do, little lady?” he asked, letting out a hefty groan.

            The younger man just sighed. “Listen, Miss Tendo…I’m sure this is very serious, we have much more *important* things to deal with. Like serial killers, for instance. Tell your friend Ranma to go to counseling or something.”

            Nabiki fixed the two men with a cool stare, looking totally unmoved. The two men squirmed under her calm gaze, a little unnerved by how uncomfortable this kid made them. “Of course there are things you can do,” Nabiki said calmly. “I have full confidence you’ll think of something if I threatened to go run these photos in every newspaper in town…”

            The old man nearly fell over in his chair.

            “Listen,” Nabiki said, leaning forward. “My sister has been over the top since the failed wedding attempt.” She grimaced a bit. “I’m sure you heard all about it in the paper. Well, a year has passed…and her temper has only gotten worse. We’ve tried everything to get her to calm down. But I think that what started out as mere “bickering” is getting more serious.”

            “Do you honestly expect us to believe that a girl as sweet as Aka--?” one of them began.

            Nabiki shushed them both immediately. It was amazing that a girl of her age could take such easy control over an entire room. “That’s not the point. I know more about this than you do. But still…say you helped me. Just this one small favor. As I have said before, I have connections.” She smirked. “More than you know, actually. If you help me, I can lead you to every underground gambling event in town. Just think…both of you famous for ridding this town of illegal gambling? You could sit back and let the papers to the rest…you’d be local heroes in no time. So what do you say?” Her voice was soft and VERY convincing…Nabiki was good. Nabiki leaned back in her chair, totally relaxed. “What do you have to lose, gentleman? If you ask me, you get the better part of the deal.” Nabiki smiled, looking very feline in that moment. “All I’m asking is for you to send one of your guys over and check out what’s going on for a while. See, I’m willing to do ALL that…if you just do this one thing.”

            The two men frowned. “Miss Tendo, what makes you think that we’re going to believe you’ll lead us to underground gambling?!” The older man glared at her. “I don’t like your tone…and I’d say, from the looks of you, you’re quite a selfish, greedy, sly little girl!”

            “I may be all those things, but I’m also a woman of my word,” Nabiki said, her face completely sincere. “I don’t lie, officer. Here, I’ll even vouch for it in writing.” She took out an already-made “contract” of sorts, and signed it right there in front of them with a black pen. “See? There. I signed. Now, if I break my promise and don’t try to help you catch illegal gamblers…then you can arrest me for blackmail, bribery…the works. Whatever you want. Jeez, I can’t believe I’m willing to do all of this for RANMA.” She glanced up at them. “Well?”

            The two men looked skeptical…VERY skeptical. They didn’t trust this little fox at all. “Gosh, I’m just asking you to HELP me!!” Nabiki said finally, loosing her calm for a moment. “Can’t you just do this ONE thing?? We’re talking about another’s SAFETY here!”

            They stared at her for another moment.

            She snapped her fingers, looking up at the ceiling, trying to remember. “Um…what’s the word…”

            At that moment, a beautiful young girl with jet black hair walked into the room, her black high heels making a satisfying click on the wood floors. Nabiki couldn’t help but notice with pity how both officers leered at her, drinking in the sight of her beauty. Nabiki also noticed, with slight curiosity…the coldness in her eyes. “Forgive me for interrupting,” the girl said monotonously. “Here are the files.” She handed the older police officer a file.

            Nabiki narrowed her eyes, reading the other girl quickly. The girl didn’t even crack a slight smile…her eyes were cold and icy, her expression hard and unforgiving. Those blue eyes alone could freeze someone inside. If there was one word to describe that beautiful girl, Nabiki had the right one. Hardened. That was it exactly.

            “Thanks, Mara,” the man replied, flipping through the files.

            “Help me out here!” Nabiki said, snapping her fingers again. “There’s a word for this kind of thing, isn’t there…? I mean, my sister is beating him up every single day for no good reason…there IS a word for that, right?”

            “Domestic abuse.”

            All three heads turned to stare at the young woman, who was still standing there, arms crossed over her chest.

            “Mara, you’re still here,” the younger police officer said.

            “Nice observation,” the girl sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

            Nabiki held back a slight chuckle. “Domestic abuse, huh? Well, officer, if you ask me, that sounds serious.” She reached into her purse, totally prepared…Nabiki-Style. She brought out several crisp bills of money, wagging them enticingly in front of the officer. “And I’ll throw in yet ANOTHER little treat just for you for being so cooperative. Gosh, I am such a generous person. I’ll pay you to send someone over there. No big deal. I have to admit…I’m a little concerned for Ranma. I mean, my sister’s hurting him pretty bad.”

            The officers stared at the money for a moment (the older officer’s eyes also traveled to the bag where the photos were, Nabiki noticed smugly), before both looking at Mara. You could just see the gears working inside of their heads as they weighed the two situations.

            “I think we have somebody,” the older one said, looking back at Nabiki.

            “Oh, really? Who?” Nabiki asked.

            They jerked their heads at the young woman. “Miss Tendo, meet Officer Mara Takano. She can go to your house undercover and observe for possible domestic abuse. She’s only been here for a little…she could use some experience in the field.”

            Mara looked slightly surprised, but just stiffly nodded to Nabiki politely.

            “Yes,” the oldest police officer said. “You’re the one right for the job. I know you can do it.”

            “Of course I can,” Mara said airily, the icy tone still not leaving her voice. She nodded at them both again. “Miss Tendo…I’ll be with you again in a moment.” She exited the room, her strides long and powerful.

            Nabiki smiled at the two men, sliding the money over to them. “Thank you, gentleman,” she said, standing up with the stealthy grace of a fox. “It was nice doing business with you. Here’s my card. Call anytime.” She threw her cell phone number over to them. And with that, Nabiki followed Mara Takano.

            The two police officers chuckled to themselves, slapping each other on the back.

            “Nice job of getting rid of the ice queen,” the younger one said, smirking.    

            “Thank you,” the other one laughed. “Well, we need her to be occupied…we can’t sit around babysitting that dumb kid all day long. This is the POLICE…we’ve got more important stuff to do. Mara will keep that Tendo girl satisfied for the time being. And besides, look! We even get MONEY!” He blushed a bit. “Besides, I couldn’t have anyone seeing those photos…!”

Author’s Notes: Well, what do you think? Nabiki is awfully more caring than usual. LOL. Ok, ok, I know I don’t know everything about police work…heck, I barely know anything but the basics. So please don’t judge me too harshly on that!! And I’m sorry if you hate it…I had on idea this would be so controversial. It seemed more people corrected me than actually liked it. Oh well. Well, I’m sorry to all those people! I’m not perfect! *Ducks as readers throw rotten tomatoes*. I’ve tried to make some changes to the prologue to suit everyone’s concerns better. I did my best…I mean, I can’t please everyone. Oh well! Either you like it or you don’t. ^_^ Besides, nothing’s gonna be TOTALLY accurate. It’s the Ranma universe! Anything goes…remember? =) PLZ READ AND REVIEW!! Thankee!! ^_^