Ranma and The Doctor

Chapter 16

Secretive Sontarans

Stopping in his tracks, the Doctor stared at the streets behind him, frowning to himself.

"This is odd..." He tapped the vial in his pocket, "Why did it pulse just now? Has something happened?"

He felt into his deep inside pocket and pulled out the TARDIS key, holding the slightly glowing Yale type key and concentrating.

"Well, Ranma is still around the place, she's got the key on her it seems." He moved to one quiet corner and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, adjusting the signal on it, "There are strange emissions in various places around here... I should really look at them more thoroughly."

Walking on, the Doctor walked by groups of people who were slowly beginning to track his movements.

Meanwhile

"What do you think, Yuko?"

"Definitely, it was a large ki, only lasting a few moments." As they were beneath a bridge, it was private enough for the two of them. She shook her head, "I can't believe this life energy... You managed to quantify it and place it into a search category, much like electricity, or even light intensity." She looked at him, "Most humans have a meagre amount, though there are a few odd individuals in this region, but nothing extraordinary."

"I don't particularly care about them, other than that idiot Kuno of course." The Contacts were working again as Ryoga got used to the Nanos flooding his bloodstream, "He's South from here anyway."

"But, why would this Ranma raise his ki?"

"Because he was fighting, but as it went down suddenly, he probably lost." He glanced at the hologram, "According to the logs, he even vanished from our sensors completely for approximately ten to fifteen minutes."

"But..." Yuko frowned again, folding her arms, "What does that mean, did he die?" She then had this terrified look on her face, "Don't tell me, you can resuscitate yourselves when you die?"

"What?" Ryoga flushed, "Of course not! We're not immortal or anything like that!" He sighed, "Maybe Ranma lost consciousness, but even so, there would still be trace amounts of ki, so this can only mean that Ranma physically left that area instantly."

"So, a transmat, or given the unlikelihood of having one right in the middle of the street there, it must have been a portable teleporter." Yuko brought up schematics for them, "There are too many to list, numerous styles and uses, but it would make sense that somehow, Ranma was caught up in one, either intentionally, by accident or..." She trailed off.

"Or by force..." Ryoga leaned forwards, scratching at the back of his neck, "Whatever it was, Ranma is back now, but his ki is somewhat different to what I remember."

"I've triangulated his position, at your top speed, including roof hopping, you can get there in ten minutes, give or take a few diversions."

"It's not that urgent to find him," Ryoga looked at the rooftops above him, "The problem is the people around here, everywhere I go it feels like I'm being watched, and not just because I'm an outsider." He smiled at Yuko, "I hardly want to draw even more attention to myself."

"True..." Yuko plotted another course on the map, "This way will take you no more than thirty minutes, with a brisk pace, given Ranma remain within a standard distance."

"We'll go with that, I'm full from that meal, so a walk sounds great."

"Okay, I'll sync with your watch and your Contact also so you know which way you're heading."

Nodding once, he watched as Yuko flickered off and pulsed his watch.

Getting up he picked at the back of his neck again, only to see a strange black substance on it. Rubbing it again his trousers, thinking it to be dirt from the back of the bridge, he walked on, following the map outline in his vision.

As he walked off, he failed to detect any change in his body, especially regarding the black metallic substance growing out from his skin, spreading all along his spinal column, but only slightly visible above the neckline of his top.

Ten minutes later

"So, I did not require Ryoga's help after all..." Kuno's eyes stopped glowing as he lowered his sword.

The policemen were down in a heap, all suffering some form of pain, be it burns, frostbite, water-boarding, even internment and exposure.

The few spells he conjured also didn't help matters for the policemen.

"I would stay and have some calm words with you all, but I doubt you would give me this opportunity to rest, thus I take my leave."

Activating the veins, he felt his feet become light, and his body slowly vanished and he stealthily ran from the scene of the crime.

One of the policemen looked up to see his fade away from his vision, and opened a communications line.

"Alert, Beta Police Team defeated, no fatalities. Skins suffered elemental damage. Unable to operate. Orders?"

"Upload image of target." A few seconds passed, "Received, Support Team Delta, retrieve Beta Police Team. Omega Response Team, find and eliminate target, designation Kuno. Be warned, abilities include elemental blade. Left arm possesses unknown powers, generally for an increase speed, agility and strength."

"Omega Response Team, acknowledged. Confirm termination? Permission to use maximum lethal force?"

"Roger, do so at once. If any bystanders, use stungun for Alpha team."

That moment, in this specific region which came to be known as Nerima district in the future, a large number of people were moving towards their ultimate goal.

Meanwhile

"Incoming projectile!"

The Contact flashed this warning and Ryoga stopped moving, to watch a small bird fly towards his face.

"Huh?" He raised his arm to protect himself, but found that it stopped in front of his face and split into many letters.

"Take this as a warning, there be humans in this region with advanced technology, far beyond this era. They are also within two minds. Do not kill these people until required. I need help against police. If you wish to help me, follow my messenger when required.

Kuno"

"Well, that's new..." Yuko stated matter-of-factly, "Nice bird he's got there."

"Hmph..." Ryoga folded his arms, eyeing up the white sparrow, which perched on his shoulder, "Looks like this isn't one of his normal golems, so perhaps he has given it life, though so far from his body, this makes it quite different."

"I'm scanning it, but can only find a similar frequency to Kuno's arm, the power conversion ratio and energy running through there." She filed it away, "I will construct a search for Kuno's unique energy, for future reference."

"We can already find him by ki, but it may be good for anything else he sends out like this."

"So?" Yuko turned to him, "Do we find Ranma, or follow Kuno?"

"Ranma is the priority now." Ryoga clenched his fist, "I'm so close, I can't give up now."

"Okay, Ranma it is..." She pointed down the street, "That way!"

Elsewhere

The Doctor found a building which he knew was strange, "The materials are not normal, the wood is too thin and strong, and completely impervious to scanning."

Glancing around him, he fired the sonic screwdriver, and the door unlocked.

Opening it, he walked in to the dark home and wasn't shocked when the door closed in on itself.

What didn't expect was to be surrounded by six small men in blue armour, all holding a small laser at the timelord.

"Ah..." He raised his hands, still holding his only weapon, "I see... Clever."

"Not so fast, Doctor." One of the Sontarans walked up to him and pulled away the screwdriver, knowing what it was in advance.

"Well, here I am, unarmed, as you most likely wanted." He lowered his arms and began to move slowly forwards, taking in his captors and the place they were in, "You built this place specifically to capture anyone who could cause a problem for yourselves, and it was a good plan too, I was completely fooled into investigating it by myself."

"Yes Doctor, and now, you will have to rest here for a while."

One of them fired the beam, and the taller man found himself trapped in a forcefield, then being pushed into a cell, where the only opening had beams which were deadly to the touch.

As the Sontarans left the cell, the forcefield left the Doctor, and he was left to himself.

"Well, serves me right for letting Ranma go out on her own..."

"Ah, so you know of this Ranma Saotome then?" One of the Sontarans smiled.

"What...?" The Doctor stood up suddenly, "What have you done with her?"

"It doesn't matter, she won't be alive for long, once the era of Ano IR begins."

"Ano IR?" The Doctor repeated, "What is that?"

"The plan to restore ourselves to the pinnacle of war!"

"Yes, yes..." He replied, bored by now, "By what exactly does it entail?"

"Doctor, if I were to tell you that, then our plans would be ruined almost before we begin." The Sontaran smiled, "Sadly, you will be left here to your own devices, the security detail will be left outside this building, as the walls are impossible for you to break through." He held up the sonic screwdriver, "At least, without this item of yours."

"Well, you've got me there..." Shrugging, the Doctor leaned against the wall of his cell, "Don't I even get a chair, or toilet facilities?"

"There's a control panel on the wall, should you require rest, even food, however these things can only be used once every six hours, are won't be reactivated before then. The bed will stay out for six hours, in order for you to rest."

"So, looks like I'm stuck here then." He saw the panel before, but didn't want to touch it before he knew what it was.

"Yes, that you are, Doctor."

The transporters activated, and the small team of Sontarans smiled before vanishing.

"Right, completely alone now..." The Doctor turned to the room, before focussing on the control panel, "Let's take a took at this one..."

Meanwhile

"Damn..." The Contact displayed new writings on the side, "Teleporter activity, near here?"

Yuko scanned it, "We can triangulate the location if you wish."

"No..." Ryoga, shook his head, "I know I was close, find him again."

"Target acquired." A new window blinked up, "Twenty metres ahead and to the left."

"Thanks Yuko..." Ryoga jogged the distance and skidded to a halt when he saw who it was.

"R-Ranma..." The redhead stopped walking, "Is that you?"

The kimono-clad girl turned slowly to stare into Ryoga's face, no sign of recognition about her.

Grinning widely, her teeth glinting in the evening lamps, she placed her arms into her kimono, ready to fight.

'Warning! Unknown abilities present!" Yuko yelled.

Ryoga thought these words were little comfort, as he felt the taste of blood, with Ranma now materialised an inch in front of his face.

"Ugh... Ranma..." Ryoga's vision darkened as the redhead pulled out her palm, having lanced it into his body, the hand now drenched in the former's blood.

As Ryoga saw the spray of red spattering onto the grinning Ranma, licking the drips that landed on her, the blood grew darker as flecks of black spread in the flow.

"Huh?" His Contact was displaying many alerts, as he paced backwards away from Ranma, "Yuko... What's...?"

Yuko materialised, glaring at Ranma, "Nanos are manufacturing exponentially, trying to seal your wound fast." She loaded up several windows, "Ranma is different, I'm sensing a peculiar field around him." She frowned, "Also, he is a girl."

"Yeah... You know why though..." Ryoga fell to his knees, vomiting blood and black Nanos, "Okay, is this healing mechanism working?"

"Yes, just some mild side-effects, see, your wound has closed."

Touching his chest, Ryoga felt the huge area where the hand plunged into, now solidified and had a dull metallic sound as he tapped it.

"Right..." Not taking a chance, he extended his finger and tapped the ground, "Bakusai Tenketsu!"

The explosion surprised Ranma, who leapt back too late, being struck by many pieces of upturned earth.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Ranma?"

Launching a fist at her face, he saw the redhead parry it, before attacking again with her feet.

Raising his knee, Ryoga combined with Ranma's foot, clashing loudly with the bones striking each other.

"Who are you?" Ryoga demanded, as they landed opposite each other again, "You don't move like him."

Yuko spoke up, "There is a forcefield based around the forehead area, namely a region where space has been compressed into a smaller object."

"So, you're not really Ranma, where is he?"

"Come on, Ryoga, you know how we spar, you just let your guard down." She put her arms on her hips, "You gotta concentrate more!"

Ryoga was still in a defensive position, "You talk like Ranma too..." He glanced at his own right hand, knowing of the hidden weapon he had there, "Tell me where he is."

"The figure stopped the cocky smile, and instead narrowed her eyes, "Ranma Saotome is no longer of your concern. Why you consider her to be a male is an interesting choice of words, and quite fascinating too." Ranma took a stance which would only mean untold pain for whoever she faced, "Unfortunately, it is time for you to leave the picture."

Lunging at him, Ryoga skidded to one side as he felt the wind rush by, tearing off some fabric at his sleeve, and cutting another gash in his body. The Contact by now was blinking furiously, so he had to disable it to see her better.

"Ranma possesses greater speed than you Ryoga, for less than a second he travelled faster than the speed of sound."

"Looks like things have changed, Yuko." He winked at her, "Prepare for battle. Use the L-S module if you want, even any other weapons you want."

Clenching his fist, he opened it up suddenly and the cast-off spidered out, covering his fist and producing several claws and blades to attack and defend with. The shards quivered with excitement.

"I see..." The Ranma figure arched an eyebrow, "An ancient Nairo, not seen one in millennia." She crouched, "Still, not enough for me."

Powering forwards, she flashed constantly, slashing at Ryoga with hands and fists, all of which hit him, though their comparative strength was not great.

"L-S Module active, Offensive measures activated. Structure Conversion Tower on full. Target, Ranma Saotome."

Ryoga grinned as Yuko pulled out a minigun-laden arm, facing the redhead, who only stared in shock.

"Shi Shi Hokodan!" Using this distraction, he fired at Ranma, who barely blocked it, but was struck by the bullets from Yuko, her eyes glowing with numerous windows scanning her for any weaknesses.

""Damn you, Ryoga..." Ranma growled, "Going so far..."

Halting his assault for a second, Ryoga defended himself with the shard as Ranma jumped in with a glowing ki-fist.

"Are you in there Ranma?" He yelled.

Kicking Ranma away, Yuko hovered in and slice at Ranma's arm using her left arm, which was a large energy blade.

"It's okay Yuko, stand down. I'm getting a little tired now."

Nodding once, she returned to her normal size and stayed near Ryoga.

Ranma was clutching at her chest, breathing heavily. "This body, is rejecting me?"

"So, you're only taking control of Ranma, is that right?" Ryoga cracked his knuckles, "Do you want me to beat you out of him?"

The figure smirked, "Do you think I would give up so easily?"

The body began to change, the limbs growing in an odd form, the teeth growing, and finally the eyes becoming white.

"R-Ranma..." Ryoga thought back to Nerima, "The Nekoken? But this..."

Yuko screamed, "Get away from him Ryoga!"

Heeding her warning, he ducked just in time, as Ranma flew overhead, shredding into the building behind them, even faster than the previous time.

"I-Impossible..." Yuko was looking at her windows, quadruple-checking her measurements, "That can't have been, that was near speed of light transportation..."

"Wh-What...?" Ryoga shivered, "But that's insane! His body must be -!"

Indeed, his suspicions were confirmed, as Ranma moving out of the building on all fours showed. The redhead was bleeding from various wounds and even simply from the skin itself, as the muscles tore themselves apart.

"Stop this!" Ryoga yelled, seeing his friend die, "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Feral Ranma grinned, as her teeth grew redder from the inside, the life fluid overflowing from her mouth, before launching again at Ryoga.

"Shit!"

The Nairo shard defended him, but at the expense of the bones in his arm, as the high speed shattered his joints there, but what he was worried about was the effect of what the metallic spines did to the attacker in question.

"No... Ranma!"

The torn and beaten body, now missing a limb from a large blade and an eye from one errant spike, fell to the floor, soaked in red.

Ignoring his own agony, Ryoga knelt down to look at Ranma's face, holding her head up, not caring if the person beneath him dealt a fatal blow at this distance.

"Wake up, Ranma!"

The forehead glowed for a second, before returning to normal. Slowly, the remaining eye opened up, the blue colour slowly turning greyer.

"Ry-Ryoga..." She smiled and raised her only arm to his face, "You w-were here, huh?"

"Don't talk Ranma..." He turned to the hologram, "Yuko, get a medkit now!"

"I-It won't work, Ryoga!" She was injecting Ranma with another form of medicine, using the Hard Light module, but nothing was happening.

"No..." He shook his head, "Why now?"

"S'okay..." Ranma grinned, "F-Find the Doctor..."

"To heal you?" Ryoga stood up, "Okay, I'll get -"

The arm grabbed his leg, "N-No... I'm already dead..." She closed her eye, "Stop them... The Sontarans... Ryoga..."

Not daring to move, Ryoga felt the grip on his leg grow limp, and soon fall onto his foot, as the redhead, fringe now covering her face, failed to breathe again.

"Yuko, Emergency Resuscitation Protocol."

"Ryoga..." Yuko moved between his face and Ranma, blocked the view of the latter, "I can't, nothing is working on her... Maybe due to the ki, or her state, I can't -"

"AI Override Protocol, Omega Directive." Yuko widened her eyes at Ryoga's words, "Disable holographic image, and all sensory receptors until further notice."

"No, wait, Ry -!"

That instant, Yuko's body was deleted from sight, and her permissions to communicate with Ryoga in any way denied.

"Why...?" He looked down at the broken body, "Why did I fight Ranma like this? He was possessed, but it was still his body..."

The Nanos were swarming around his right arm, trying to restore his elbow joint and bones, covering the skin with shiny metal to stitch the skin together.

"Kuno..." He held his head, "He told me about this before, with that bird of his..." He grit his teeth, "I forgot... I fought all out almost, and look where it got me..."

The bird was still stuck on his shoulder, unmoved during the entire battle, as if on standby until its services were required.

Sensing another bout of narcolepsy, Ryoga succumbed to the blissful sleep, willing himself to ignore the agony of killing his friend.

That moment

A communication line was opened.

One man spoke. "Omega Response Team. This is General Strall. Acknowledge."

"Roger. Awaiting Orders."

"Prepare for immediate battle level upgrade. New skins and abilities to be uploaded. For glory of war, for Sontar!"

Saluting in response, each unit responded once they were in a private location, and slowly but surely, all fifty had changed appearance in several seconds.

Ten minutes later

"Okay..." The Doctor was fiddling with the innards of the control panel, having pried it open.

"This activates the bed..." Clipping a wire to another, the bed appeared from the wall.

"This the toilet..." From the ground, the toilet rose up.

"Now... to combine the two..."

Holding the wires together, the toilet rose at the same time as the bed sliding out, and both broke off, the toilet flinging off the base, and the bed snapping at the wall.

"This must be a way out..."

Moving to the toilet, which was obviously modern, and not with any standard human plumbing, he crouched as small cubicle descended into the building. Pulling out a mini torch, he walked through the construction vent.

"Standard Sontaran technology, which must mean..." Flipping up some switches from the wall, he saw a series of doors within the vent open up, and forcefields dropping.

"Here we go..." The vent ended at a wooden door, which he promptly slid open, only to appear in a shop front.

"Odd..." He saw no one was in there, so he glanced at the entrance, which was boarded up, "So, this must be their base of operations, other places must be connected in a way."

He moved to the back of the shop, and saw behind the counter his screwdriver, "Always a good sign I'm on the right track."

Picking it up, he locked the front door, and the door he emerged from, just in case.

"Now that I know what I'm looking for..." Configuring the options, he angled the probe to find a way out, and the blinking sound accelerated as he lowered it, until it was directly beneath him."

"Oh my, a hidden base right below me." Finding a hidden button in the shelving unit, he grinned, "Hope they don't mind my dropping in all of a sudden."

The shelves retracted, and he descended in the lift to the base, holding the probe at the ready.

Meanwhile

"Target found. Isolated region. Commencing termination."

Fifty people closed in on one individual, based in a field with a watermill and small stream, somewhere out of the town.

Resting on the building itself, Kuno opened his eyes.

"So, the time has come then?" He stood up and stared down at his enemies, only to stumble at the sight.

"P-Pigtailed girl?" He shook his head, "Wait, no, you're R-" Slamming his blade into the slated roof, he spoke, "I refuse to say that name."

The fifty people spoke as one, "Oh, is that because you're scared, Kuno?"

"Never!" raising the sword, it grew fiery, "I will erase my past, starting with you all."

Jumping down onto the ground, he saw most of the girls close in on him, each with varying smiles, smirks and arrogant looks, all with red hair, and the same eyes.

"Well, Kuno, up for a little sparring?" The lead one smiled devilishly, her fist glowing white, as the others followed suit.

"Curse you all..." Activating all four veins, he muttered a spell, raising the sword and swiping at the archaic writing on the side, "Falsehood be damned, truth be blessed; lies will be burned, whilst facts as stressed." He looked at them all, "Answer me now, fire will cleanse your lies, and truths will keep your lives."

"What the hell are you on about?" One Ranma spoke.

"Are you the real one?" Kuno asked, his eyes smouldering.

"Course I am!" She grinned, only to scream as her body burned from within, Kuno's blade shining brightly. No amount of patting down could save her, and soon all that remained were the cinders of the body.

"What did you do to her?" Another one yelled, taking a stance.

"I ask the questions here." Kuno seemed to grow in size, when it was simply the fear the others felt from seeing his attack, "Where is the original?"

"Don't know what you're talking about!" Again, she screamed too as the same blue flame engulfed her, the curse enforced by the blade.

"No more questions, now we fight." The supposed lead Ranma grinned lasciviously, "This will be a fun battle, won't it Kuno?"

As Kuno held the blade with both hands, he stood his ground as forty-eight figures which were exactly the same as Ranma charged towards him, fists, feet and ki blasts forthcoming.

"The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High will smite thee all!"

As the ice and fire shimmered around his sword, the battle began.

-
Author's Notes

Another massive battle coming up here, Kuno is getting to be a bit inhuman the more things move along, and I'm sure you can see how Ryoga is changing more physically.

In the meantime, the Doctor is doing his standard passive form of attack.

The new series is fairly good too. Looking forward to more of the 11th Doctor.

- J