Plans Come Together
Chapter 1
Rei-chan: Walks out and looks at all the weird people staring at the monitor. Um yeah, well its not as ifwe own these characters or for that matter have a right to do the horrible thingswe aregoing to do to them, but it's all in fun. The characters are the respective property of their creators, eventuallywe will stop being lazy and look up how to properly spell their names. Now on with this meandering little tale.
"Nabiki, you know how much I hate you right now?" Ranma-chan asked from under the collar of her trench coat while riding on the train next to Nabiki.
"Come on Saotome. You know you love showing off your moves just as much as I love raking in the dough. So toughen up and deal with it, who knows maybe you will show them all a thing or two about how it is done." Nabiki looked ahead of herself again, trying hard not to crack up about this current scenario.
"Besides, you like getting a cut of the profits from my little plans, while I enjoy watching the chaos they cause."
"True, Nabs, true. Just don't make that argument that technically I qualify ever again alright?"
"I'll think about it. After all you should have seen your face when I said it, priceless."
"Still bothers me that I am technically a magical girl. Now please explain the plan again."
"Okay we go to a near by ward, not Nerima because you would be recognized instantly, and stage a show. Once we do this, that eccentric man will pay us for the stunt. Now you remember your lines now?"
"Yeah Nabs, how could I forget those stupid lines. Come on who would believe this crap?"
"Come on Saotome, you know for a fact they believe in this stuff around here. The locals will eat it up. We entertain them, make some money, you get to show off, and everyone is happy. Cheer up."
Ranma continued to grumble as they arrive in Juuban and disembarked.
The people of Juuban heard a familiar sound, the roar of a monster let loose on the unsuspecting populace. Most people began to flee, but a few stayed behind rooted to their spots while a young woman with short brown hair tried to get out of the hands of the monster.
"Help me someone!" She was on her hands and knees trying to get away from the gelatinous glob of evil.
A group of 6 girls were watching stunned, mostly because none of them sensed any sort of evil energy when the creature appeared. The blonde with the meat ball hair do was more stunned by the sudden wave of nausea that hit her upon seeing the monster. They tried to find a good place to hide and deal with it even though it gave off no negative vibes but stopped when they heard a voice. "Leave the woman alone you vile demon. I can't allow your mistress to take any more souls than she has already."
The group of girls looked up to see a woman standing atop a tree overlooking the attacking monster. She was standing there, in what looks like a modified senshi fuku. The skirt was longer and it wasn't quite as tight as the standard magical girl gear goes. The color scheme was also all wrong, being inverted from their standard with white for trimmings and black for the main coloration.
Suddenly the woman who had appeared atop the tree moved in such a way it appeared as if she teleported to slam a fist square in the middle of the monster. As the monster doubles over she channeled energy down her hand and blasted it a few meters away from its target.
"Come on you sick pile of slime. If you want a life, take mine." She stalked to the recovering monster and in one motion pulled out a staff. The staff has a flame coloring to it with a circle on top. The monster charges this newcomer, hoping to take her down quickly. It didn't know exactly what was going on, but it wanted to live. The new senshi simply evaded around the charge and hit the monster on the back. When the staff made contact with the creature it busted into fire. Quickly the monster was gone and the woman put the staff away.
"Weakling." With that, the woman faded from view and everyone stood there shocked. That was perhaps the quickest monster dispatching they had ever seen. The six girls approached the brown haired girl who had been assaulted by the monster, noting that the page boy cut was somewhat flattering on her. "Miss, are you okay? Did you get hurt?" asked the youngest of the group. She was a small, frail looking girl with purple hair and slightly purplish irises.
"No thanks. I... I seem to be okay." The young lady who had been attacked gets to her feet and looks at the group of girls that had approached her. "Sorry, may I ask what your name is my dear?"
"My name is Hotaru miss…?"
"Tendo, Nabiki Tendo." Nabiki paused for a moment wondering why she bothered to tell the girl. She shrugs though deciding it probably won't matter. "Look I have got to go. Perhaps I will run into you and your friends again later." Nabiki left the park in a hurry.
The black haired girl of the group turned to the one with the blue hair. "Ami, please tell me you got all that on the computer."
"There wasn't any time to do so Rei, it was in storage."
"I want to know why my stomach sensed horrible food while it was here." The odagoed one stated while the other blonde shrugs.
"Perhaps we should all get together and discuss what we saw today." The group all turned around to see a woman with green hair in a tailored suit walking up to them. "After all it isn't everyday we see someone who could be of use to us. Meet at the shrine, one hour." With that she walked away from the group, disappearing around the corner.
Ranma-chan was standing on the train platform while she watched Nabiki make her way back to her. She was wearing the trench coat from earlier. "Alright Nabs… are we done?"
"Yes Saotome we are done. Let's go back home quickly now before the crew notices I snuck you out and begins chasing us thinking we are on some tryst."
Ranma nodded his head and then rushed to the rest room. "Not going to spend another minute in this getup than necessary Nabs."
A few moments later a male Ranma returned wearing his usual clothes and the two boarded the train back to Nerima.
As the train got closer to home, Ranma turned and looked at Nabiki. "That actually was kind of fun but I could have done it without the dressing in the fuku. Nabs, where on earth did you find something that would seal Akane's beasts away?"
"Ahh the magic of plastic food containers with air lock seals of course Ranma. The better question is how much tranquilizer powder I had to use to put it down."
"Please tell me you didn't use too much. I was saving it for the event Akane ever goes completely off the deep end."
"I know, Ranma, I know. Now then, do you remember what we are going to tell the wrecking crew when we get back to Nerima?"
"Yes Nabs. I am not a complete lunkhead despite how I act for pops. You had to do some shopping in Juuban and I came along to act as protection for you thanks to a lost bet. Now though I have a question about our scenario. I can only assume that fight will be on TV. or in the news, so people will eventually track it to you. How do we explain that I didn't take out the monster when I was with you?"
"Easy Ranma, we simply say that you saw a cat and were spooked. I was in the park trying to find you when I happened upon the aggressive demon. You should know by now that I have it all in the bag."
"I know Nabs. After all you've been my business partner since a week after I moved in. I just can't help but worry sometimes about our little set up being found out. I still wonder why no one has asked where I get the money I use from."
"Ahh, but that is easy to explain too. People are not overly observant as a rule. I doubt anyone other than Cologne has even noticed when you have money. It's not like you use it for much anyway."
"If we get stuck doing this again for that eccentric, can I find a way to drag Ryoga with us? He would make an excellent magical pet. Maybe use him as the finishing move on the monster, since he seems to be the only one I know that can devour Akane's evil monstrosities and live."
Ryoga poured the food for the pigs at Akari's farm. It was good to find a friend and stick around them for awhile finally, especially one that knew about the curse. He did not need to worry about being taken to the vet to be fixed or anything every time he was sprayed with water, and for that he was eternally grateful. If only his stomach would stop hurting, he had not eaten anything Akane had made in nearly two months.
"Everyone here now? I do not want to have to repeat myself." Setsuna reclined on a pillow while the other senshi calmed down and settled in. "Okay, first things first. That was not a new senshi."
She waited for the others to stop shouting and asking questions before she continued. "I know what you all saw, believe me when I say I am surprised it was possible for a non-senshi to do that sort of thing. I am currently pulling any info I can to find out who that mysterious person was, but I assure you it was no senshi. Now that that is out of the way, I need to know if any of you heard anything that may give us a path to follow. Perhaps a name for the girl or even who the victim was?"
Hotaru spoke up," Well the girl said her name was Nabiki Tendo. I imagine she may know something about who rescued her. She didn't seem all that surprised that a magical girl showed up."
Ami spoke up at that point. "Yes, I have been doing some gathering since the incident. Apparently she is well known for her business pursuits. I am unsure of much else about her at this point other than she runs a garage company named Tendo Enterprises and is apparently not above some minor petty misdeeds."
"Thank you Ami. Now then on to the other order of business. The monster that appeared today was neither a youma nor any other sort of demonic entity. As far as I know, it was more like a lab accident gone horribly right."
Usagi chirped up at that point,"Setsuna, is there any way we can get that person to help us. She seemed to know how to fight really well and we sure could use all the help we can get at any time." Setsuna noticed Haruka and Makoto nod their heads about that person knowing how to fight and internally agreed with the assessment. "That was what I wanted to discuss next. This person is extremely talented martially speaking. I think we should keep an eye out for her, possibly attempt to get her help. Now then, I need to get back to the gates. Let me know if any of you find anything further about our mystery girl is." Setsuna then faded from view to return to her post.
"But why did Pluto say she could be of use to us and then say we should watch her? I mean shouldn't we be trying to contact that mystery girl? Hey meatball head I am talking to you?" Rei looked over to see Usagi was already busy reading in one of her manga.
Ami sweat droped as the usual fight starts and takes one of the cookies Makoto had baked for everyone while waiting for them to fight it out. Somehow, she felt, Setsuna knew more about that mystery girl than she was willing to reveal.
In the high-rise office buildings of DraCorp sat a darkened office. A tall backed chair was set behind a rather large oaken desk, a desk that obviously belonged to ceo for it was clean and tidy. Jiro Yamada, cooperate yes-man and all around agent of DraCorp waited nervously. "So it worked? The incident went as desired? This is wonderful news." The voice seemed to flow from the darkened portion of the room, which was where the chair sat.
"Indeed it is sir. Everything went off without a hitch. The two we hired put on the show and by tomorrow everyone will have heard of it. How do you want to proceed?" The voice, accompanied by a chuckle, answered him. "I want you to approach them with another offer. Have them do this a few more times, in and around Juuban. I don't want them to have to travel all over Tokyo to put on a show just yet. Also, when you approach them again, let them know of what our contract will provide. I imagine that at least the Tendo girl would like to go to college."
The voice paused for a moment as its owner was racked with coughs and a struggle for air. "Excuse me; I seem to have gotten too excited. Now, Jiro, how goes our production? Are they almost ready to roll off the line?" Jiro nodded quickly, not wanting his boss to be upset with him. He understood the man did not like it when people failed the tasks assigned. "They are already on their way to be shipped. Should only take another two weeks before then. Is that soon enough sir?"
The voice responded, "It will have to be. Any sooner and we will get no good out of them. Now Jiro, I need to attend to other matters so could you send maintenance up. I spend a bleeding fortune on a nice office and the lights would go out in half of it. I don't care if they have to replace the things with standard fluorescents; this being in the dark is annoying."
Jiro jumped and left the room thinking to himself that this job will get him killed eventually if for no other reason than a heart attack. Once he had cleared the office and was safely on the elevator he began to smirk to himself. "Oh well, its not like I don't have it all under control." He laughed to himself as he stepped out onto the ground floor.