mlatus@willow.msvu.ca GuyverRyoga / Ryoga 1/2 : Worlds in Collision A story concerning three alternate Ranma 1/2 universes by Mark Latus Prologue - Mistaken Identity (If you read "Ryoga : Crossover" you can probably skip the prologue) Sunday Morning, Ranma 1/2 Timeline-The Present Had there been a casual observer in the supposedly unoccupied office he (or she) would have concluded the teenagers were identical triplets. Someone more knowledgeable about one of Nerima's frequent visitors would have wondered why there were suddenly three Ryoga Hibikis. Anyone who knew about the events Friday night at the Tendo Dojo could be forgiven for believing another group of Ryogas had been dragged out of their alternate universes. None of these assumptions was correct. Not one of the three was either human or belonged in this world and time. As designed all of the androids were identical to Ryoga Hibiki at the age of 17. The teenage model Ryoga Simulation Androids (or Ryogoids, as they were commonly known) were Emperor Hibiki's personal favorites. The androids came in a range of age groups from five to fifty. His most favored model was the 19 year old design, the same age he'd been when he killed Ranma Saotome. However that happy event was two years in the future and in another universe. It was also not looking as certain as it once had. Clustered around the monitor screen the Ryogoids watched the playback of Operation Crossover. It had not gone anything like expected. In essence the plan had been simple, at least from the point of view of a machine intelligence. The rebels had hijacked a timemachine intending to kill the Emperor before he achieved unification with the global computer net. They were unaware all timemachines were locked out of the homeline's past and would only convey them into the past of an alternate universe. This was a safety feature to prevent damaging the Empire's history. The Emperor didn't give a damn about screwing up the history of alternate universes. After all, he had to test time travel somewhere. Unfortunately things can't normally stay in a foreign universe due to the differing quantum signatures of matter. The only way to exist in an alternate universe was to carry a Quantum stabiliser (which all the androids did) or receive a stabilisation charge to temporarily align you to the host universe. The timemachine had provided the latter of these for the rebels, unfortunately it was of finite duration. Once it expired the rebels would have been snapped back to the homeworld. Where they could change the past and preempt the Empire's existence. Sadly the temporal exclusion factor made it impossible to enter the same time twice. So once something gets changed in the past it stays changed. Ambushing the rebels proved impossible, there are limits to what can pass from one dimension to another. Why this is remains unknown at present, dimensional travel is a new science having been developed just two years ago (meaning 2118 AD, from the Ryogoids' point of view until very recently it was July 1st 2120 AD). With twenty rebels in this timeline one android was all that could be forced into this timeline. That should have been enough. In addition to the most advanced machine intelligence developed (wrapped around the the downloaded personality of a psychotic Ryoga Hibiki) the androids had been designed as the ultimate warriors. They were programmed with every martial art known, superhuman reflexes and strength besides being equipped with one hell of an internal weapons system. In essence the plan was simple, while the rebels hunted this world's Ryoga the Ryogoid would hunt them. To ensure the rebels had someone to hunt five other Ryogas had been dragged from their homeworlds and dropped near the Tendo Dojo. After some initial complications the six Ryogas had decided to stick together until they figured out what was going on. The Ryogoid had joined them claiming to be a seventh Ryoga. Sure enough the rebels showed up and the android was waiting. Things were running smoothly until the Ryogas objected to the slaughter of unconscious rebels. The Ryogas learned that number seven was an android and responsible for their being stranded on the wrong world. Worse than that one of them was dead and another greviously injured. They turned on the android, which learned that it was hardwired not to harm Ryoga Hibiki. This was a failsafe the Emperor had installed in his creations to prevent a Frankenstein scenario. Unable to defend itself the android had vanished, where it went was unknown to the Ryogas. It was not unknown to one of those watching. On the screen one of the Ryogas destroyed the Quantum Lock holding them in this universe. All but this world's indigenous Ryoga vanished. Unit 207 (Model 17 Modified, Interdimensional/Temporal Survey and Exploration Design) sighed and turned off the monitor. "Well now we know what happened to 303. He bugged out of this dimension and never came back." Unit 549 (Model 17, Standard Enforcement/Battle Design) nodded, "It was a mistake to send one of you, we'd have done a better job." 463 agreed with its comrade. 207 suppressed an angry retort, the downside of having the Emperor's personality (praise his name) was having his emotions. Meaning being quick to anger and pick a fight. In fact in the early days the Emperor had to do a little reprogramming to prevent his androids from continually beating each other up. Despite which tensions remained between the subgroups of androids. However 207 was in command of this trio and therefore not about to let this develop into a shouting match. "A battleunit would have lasted longer but been equally unable to defend itself. Lacking dimensional shift equipment he wouldn't have had any way out." Neither of the others could contradict this, a side effect of being very intelligent. 207 continued, "Now we saw 303 kill 18 of the 20 rebels before the Ryogas turned on him. At which point he escaped having first synchronized the rebels to his shifter so they were transported with him. He obviously intended to kill the remaining 2 then return with the bodies to this dimension for transport back to the present." "But nothing showed up at the timescoop point", 463 interjected. The androids could have interfaced and concluded this conversation in seconds. However having human personalities they clung to verbal communication except in crisis situations. 207 nodded, "Unfortunately 303 jumped blindly to avoid imminent destruction. He didn't have time to choose his destination. Which meant he warped into the flux line." The other two looked at him blankly, they had never been programmed with the alternate dimension data, they were just along to provide backup. 207 continued, "As you know when we change the past in an alternate universe we witness a phenomena known as the paradox wave." Both nodded. "If we observe this happening from our world we see a period of flux as reality changes. It lasts several minutes from our point of view. On the changed world the new reality becomes the only one to have ever existed." "The one exception to this is worldline Gamma. Two days from now a reality flux becomes the only thing we can observe from then until our own time. Temporal exclusion prevents us from observing the trigger of the flux. It is believed that at some point in our own future we may make changes to that point in Gamma's history. Or we may choose to not intervene. Until the matter is resolved Gamma is in flux and unobservable, possibly unenterable." "Compilcated", 463 commented. 207 agreed, time paradoxes can confuse even MI's. "But if the flux hasn't happened yet why didn't 303 come back? Even damaged he could have taken two unarmed rebels with ease." 207 shrugged, "Gamma is the strangest known alternate world. There's evidence of alien intervention in it's distant past and an actual worldwide conspiracy around at this point in history. In any event the only way to find out is to go look for myself." Neither 463 or 549 had dimensional shift equipment. The packs on their backs contained the stabilisers that held them in this world. 207 had an inbuilt combination dimensional shifter/stabiliser. It meant he carried less armament than them, but as Ryogoids have a ridiculous overkill capability it didn't make much difference. His backpack was full of sensor equipment, which he was going to use to find what had happened to 303. He gave his final instructions to his subordinates. "Gather 303's equipment and wait at timescoop point." Six hours from now a vacant building two kilometers west would be swept by an energy wave. Anything caught in that wave would be dragged into both 2120 and the Imperial timeline, arriving ten minutes after the three Ryogoids had departed. "If I'm not there in five hours assume I've been destroyed. I'll find a quiet spot and shift to Gamma. 303 would have arrived at the spacial equivalent to the spot he left. So I'll begin my investigation at the Tendo Dojo." The other two began clearing the equipment as 207 departed. He headed out of the building until he reached a small alleyway. His memory files indicated this tended to be a little used place in all the observed worldlines. Heading into the alleyway he engaged his dimensional shifter. Sunday morning - Timeline Gamma (Imperial coding system) 207 appeared in an alley virtually identical to the one he'd left. No one noticed his arrival except a stray cat which ran off in a panic. The android called up his map of Nerima in 1995 and plotted the optimum route to the Tendo home. He set off, being physically identical to the contemporary Ryoga Hibiki he could claim the identity if the need arose. That was why the model 17's had been sent on this mission. As he proceeded 207 noted various discrepencies between this world, the homeworld at this point in history and the world he'd just left. Ukyou Kuonji's restaurant was gone, a new coffeeshop was under construction at the site. The Nekohanten restauarant had a small "Out of Business" sign in the front window and a "For Sale" sign on the wall. There hadn't been any observation of this line's recent history so he had no data as to the cause of these changes. Not that it was likely to be significant, still he felt a certain curiosity. Arriving near the Dojo and finding a concealed spot 207 began scanning the yard. His metaphorical heart sank. Sensor readings did not indicate 303 leaving the yard. Furthermore there was evidence of a massive energy pulse occuring approximately the same time that 303 appeared. 207 had a nasty feeling he knew the source of the pulse. In this timeline Ryoga Hibiki had found, and become joined to, an extraterrestrial artifact known as the "Guyver Unit." It converted its host into a living weapon. Among other things it gave the wearer the capability to generate massive destructive energy bursts. The unit was wanted by an organization known as Kronos. According to Kronos an alien race was responsible for the creation of the human race. In creating the human race the aliens had introduced a genetic strain that, when activated, transformed humans into genetically designed warriors called Zoanoids. This was obviously false. Of the fifteen known Earths this was the only one the Empire had detected signs of alien intervention. After discovery of this world a study had been made of various worlds' prehistory periods. Evolution had proceeded without extraterrestrial help. A closer study of this world's past had shown the aliens introducing a dormant genetic "trigger" into the already existing primates. Plans to travel to this world's past to steal alien technology had been abandoned. The technology of the so-called "Creators" was biologically based and incompatible with the Empire's inorganic technology. However a study was being made of their interstellar drive systems by temporal observation. In any event the Zoanoids had evidently been abandoned in favor of the Guyver units and the aliens had left earth. Kronos had begun centuries ago as a cult surrounding the few humans who could trigger their Zoanoid transformation due to a genetic quirk. In this century it had taken the form of an international corporation and learned how to activate the genetic trigger the aliens planted so long ago. In addition Kronos was actively search for any artifacts the creators had left. Which meant they were willing to kill Hibiki to regain the Guyver unit. That was the latest data 207 had on this timeline. His genetic scanners indicated five people in the house. He could identify them from his datalog, Ryoga Hibiki, Akane, Nabiki and Soun Tendo and Ranma Saotome. There was no trace of the two others he had expected. 207 had a hypothesis, it went something like this; Hibiki becomes paranoid after being continually attacked by Zoanoids. Or monsters as the layman would call them. So he tends to react in a very hostile fashion to perceived threats. Unit 303 appears in the Tendo garden surrounded by corpses. Due to the battering it has recieved it is obvious 303 is not human. So Hibiki sees a "monster", shreds of artifical skin hanging off it among the people it has killed. He activates the Guyver and destroys 303, 303 being programmed not to attack or defend against Ryoga Hibiki. 303 is destroyed, as is its Quantum stabiliser. That means the remains of 303 and the rebels snap back to the homeline. This was very bad. Even if 303 had time to kill the remaining rebels history does not record twenty corpses suddenly appearing in the Tendos' garden. That should have caused a time paradox. But 207 had left his time after 303 so the Empire still existed. Or did it? Reality had seemed very fragile since time travel was invented. Perhaps the Empire now didn't exist, or wouldn't exist, or whatever. "Now" was a rather slippery term in these circumstances. While 207 pondered these questions he was unaware he was under observation. The nondescript van had been watching the Tendo home all night. The Kronos observer couldn't understand how Hibiki had got out of the house without his spotting him. He'd be in deep shit with Kronos HQ for this. There was still time to save his neck. He keyed the comm. link to the strike team and told them, "Hibiki is out and fifteen metres from the north wall. The streets are deserted, move in and initiate plan." 207 sighed, he didn't have the capability to work out something as complex as the nature of reality. The only thing he could do was return to the previous worldline and await pickup. Ideally he should cross to the homeworld and examine the changes that had occurred. However his programming prevented this, no one was allowed to enter the Empire's past to avoid inadvertantly changing anything. He might as well walk to the pickup point's equivalent in this world and cross over there. That was when 207 got his first surprise. His sensor equipment detected a dimensional shift pulse. Correction, it was similar to shift frequencies but not an exact match. Which seemed impossible, shift technology was not developed until 2118 because several of the sciences it required wouldn't exist until the mid twentyfirst century. Except that in this world a highly advanced technology already exists. The artifacts left by the extraterrestrials. This was a new threat to the Empire. If Kronos had dimensional shift technology now that meant they'd have it decades before the Empire. Which meant they might conquer this world then look for new Earths to rule. If Kronos launched an assault on the homeline before 2120 the Empire's history would be destroyed. This threat required investigation. He must find the signal's source and investigate. But the signal had ceased and had been too brief to track. 207 felt a building anger, it was one damn thing after another. So for the Kronos striketeam it was a rotten moment to show up. 207 saw four large men in purple jumpsuits emerge from the sidestreets. Two moved to intercept him as the other two hung back. His datafile identified the outfits as standard Kronos uniform. A bit silly looking in his opinion, but people who want to be changed into monsters probably don't have much in the way of fashion sense. Or any other kind of sense. "We've been looking to pay you back for all the trouble you've caused, punk", the uglier of the two snarled. His companion muttered "Yeah!" 207 remembered that his mission parameters constrained him to avoid making unnecessary changes to parallel world history. So he said, "I'm not the man you're looking for, so piss off." The two Kronos agents chuckled. "Yeah, you just happen to look like Hibiki. Too bad cause we're gonna kill you for that." 207's defensive programming activated. He had been threatened with destruction. It was now permissable to kick ass. Good, he needed to blow off some steam. In front of him the two men changed. While both remained humanoid one developed armoured skin, a reptilian appearance and a large horn in its forehead. The second developed bat-like features, claws and a furry body. Both figures increased in size to over two metres in height. 207 scanned them, comparing the toughness of their skin to his ceramic armour. No contest, besides he could use the energy shield if necessary. Strangely they were waiting for him rather than making the first move. Fine by him. A sonic scan of the horned one located what he was looking for. "Interesting body you've got there", 207 told it. He speared his right hand through the Gregore's chest and pulled it back out holding the multi chambered heart. "So what does this bit do?" Emperor Hibiki had never developed a sophisticated sense of humor. However he did develop a viscious streak which was passed on to his androids. 207 couldn't read the expression on the reptilian face but was willing to bet that it was a mixture of pain and surprise. Trying to speak it collapsed at his feat. "What the fu...urk!" the batlike one said. It added this last exclamation when Ryoga did a standing jump, landed on its shoulders, reached down and grabbed its head, then twisted it 180 degrees. Ramothis's last sight was of his two comrades directly behind him, still in their human forms. 207 jumped from the falling Zoanoid and landed lightly on the street. Looking at the remaining two he said, "Do you feel lucky, punks?" The Kronos agents stared at him in shock. The plan had been simple, the two standard Zoanoids threaten Hibiki, he activates the Guyver, then they transform to their Enzyeme II forms and hit him with their bioacid. The acid was specifically designed to break down and destroy the Guyver armour. Then they would just have to fish the control medallion out of the remains, tell team two to kill everyone in the Tendo house and head back to HQ. But Hibiki had killed two Zoanoids with his bare hands which just wasn't possible. He started towards them and they began the transformation process. The first had almost finished when Hibiki punched him in the chest. His ribcage shattered, sending lethal splinters through most of his vital organs. Ignoring his dying foe 207 ran through his options for killing the last one. So many choices. The man had become a hulking white furred thing with huge claws and four insectlike pincers growing from its back. Easily dodging a spray of acid from its mouth and a strike by two of the four pinchers 207 made a choice. In midair he unclipped his belt, snapping it in a certain way so it became rigid as a sword. As he leapt past the Zoanoid his arm slashed twice. What followed was rather like one of those samurai movies. 207 landed, behind him the zoanoid stood frozen in its last striking position. 207 returned the belt to its normal state and refastened it. Then, with timing only a machine could achieve, he snapped his fingers. The Zoanoid fell apart in three large chunks. 207 smiled, it had been an amusing diversion. Now down to business. He paused, while in battlemode he had increased his sensor range to detect threats. There were radio waves coming from that van by the corner. Kronos's observer couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed. Hibiki had wiped out four Zoanoids without the Guyver. It wasn't possible. But he'd seen it with his own eyes. He'd called in the second team for support and was frantically calling Kronos HQ. "This is an unsecured line", the operator told him. "Fuck that, Hibiki just took out team one. He didn't use the Guyver he tore them apart with his OWN FUCKING HANDS! WE'VE GOT A SITUATION HERE! SEND EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, OH SHIT!!!" This last remark was added as 207 ripped throught the wall of the van. He grabbed the observer by the throat and lifted him with one hand. As he did he examined the surveillance gear in the van. Primitive by his standards but it had probably seen too much. He felt an increase in mass as his captive began transforming. He tightened his grip unitl he felt the neck snap. Dropping the corpse he made an adjustment in his energy shield. There was a voice from the fallen cellular phone shouting, "What's happening over there?!" 207 smirked and said, "Thank you for being with us, we now conclude our broadcast day." The electromagnetic pulse fried the van's equipement and scrambled all the video and computer recordings of recent events. Leaving the smoking van 207 began wandering toward the crossover point. It was a good a place as any to scan from until his five hours were up. At which point the second Zoanoid team came charging around a corner. They'd already transformed, two of the bat-things, an insectlike creature and a reptilian one with huge pods on its shoulders. The pods were generating laser energy, best to end this quickly. 207 took evasive action, as he dodged he generated a plasma sphere between his hands. He launched it at the Zoanoids, firing before the Vamore had finished generating enough power. As the plasma sphere reached the Zoanoids its electromagnetic containment field collapsed. Plasma exploded outwards and seared the zoanoids. 207 scanned the scene. The screaming indicated one of the Zoanoids was still alive. One of the bat creatures had been on the fringe of the blast, blinded and burned it howled in agony. The others were dead. 207 pulled a bandanna loose and aimed it at the creature. The bandanna decapitated it and began circling back to the android. It arrived at the same time as the Zoanoid's head hit the ground. Retying it 207 wandered off, noting that the first Zoanoids he killed were already decomposing rapidly, evaporating into gas. One way to save on funeral expenses, he mused. Inside the Tendo home everyone remained asleep, unaware of what they'd missed. A little distance away Sasuke wondered what had made that awful noise. Well it hadn't lasted long fortunately. He continued back towards the Kuno Mansion, Master Kuno would be most pleased by his discovery. Sasuke had felt uneasy when Master Kuno joined those Kronos people. Not that he had much foundation for this belief, he knew little about them. He was pretty sure Master Kuno didn't know much more than he did. They had recruited him by appealing to his vanity, saying they needed a man of his skill and intelligence, to observe certain troublemakers at Furinkan High. As one of those troublemakers was Ranma, Kuno was more than happy to join. But then Ranma and the Tendos dropped out of school for unknown reasons. Since then the only contact with Kronos had been an urgent memo addressed to all Kronos personnel advising them to keep an eye out for something called a Guyver unit. The memo included a picture and a warning not to touch it with bare skin. Of course Kuno had turned the matter over to Sasuke and told him to scour the town for the item. He had then returned to writing bad poetry to the pig tailed girl and Akane and wondering why everyone in the Tendo house was so tense these days. Sasuke had been lucky and after several weeks of searching had found the gizmo in a small park underneath a bench. Making sure not to touch it with any part of his body he had dropped it in a bag. Now he could go home and get some rest. Maybe Master Kuno would give him a raise. Although he'd be more likely to complain about the time it had taken. As if finding something the size of a discus was easy. In any event hopefully things would be quiet for the next few weeks. Sasuke had no idea just how unlikely that was. To be continued. Authors Afterword: I realize the title characters haven't appeared yet but setting some background seemed like a good idea. This story spun off from "Ryoga : Crossover" which had several alternate versions of Ryoga meeting in the regular Ranma1/2 universe. If you didn't read it what do you need to know? Well the GuyverRyoga stuff will be explained as we go. He made a cameo appearance in part 8 of Crossover so there's not much to know about him. Ryoga 1/2 is a little more complicated. As the name suggests he fell in the same sping as Ranma. How this changed regular Ranma history was discussed in Crossover. All you need to know is he's engaged to Nabiki, living at the Tendo Dojo, and his female form is lusted after by Kuno and Happosai. Involvement with Nabiki has made him more machiavellian than the Ryoga you know. Basically his world is a wild and crazy one, GuyverRyoga lives in a dark, cyberpunk world. The same man, very different aspects. If this story will work, who knows. But I'm going to try. By the way for everyone who was asking how Ryoga 1/2 and Nabiki got engaged. That story will be told, but not as part of this one. Sorry. Up next, monday morning in two different universes and absolutely no androids. Part one : Parallel Lines. Coming soon. Guyver Ryoga / Ryoga 1/2 : Worlds in Collision A fanfic about three alternate Ranma 1/2 Universes by Mark Latus Part 1 : Parallel Lines Early Monday Morning - Tendo Dojo - Ryoga 1/2 Timeline Ryoga woke up with a start. He hadn't meant to doze off since being found here would certainly complicate life. Taking care not to wake Nabiki he untangled their limbs and slid out of the bed. He dressed silently then glided to the door. A few moments listening told him the house was still silent. He eased the door open and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. So far so good, now for the tricky part, finding his way back to "his" room. Just a converted closet really but after years of tent life anything with a solid roof was a novelty. Luckily Nabiki had come up with a way to compensate for his lousy directional skills. He glanced at the floor until he saw the orange line. Now since that way the line went downstairs and his room was upstairs it must be that way. He quietly followed the line to his bedroom (there was room for a bed, his backpack and that's about it) and headed inside. Soun hadn't been particularly happy with Nabiki drawing colored lines all over the floor but had to admit it prevented Ryoga from showing up in the wrong room at the worst possible time. Ryoga picked up his watch which he'd left on top of his pack. According to it the time was about six, too late to get any more sleep before school. He might as well head into the training hall and start his morning workout early. So, pausing only to rumple the futon so it looked slept in, he headed out to look for the green line. It wasn't much later when Ranma came in to join him. They'd started working out together shortly after Ryoga began living in the Dojo. As Genma had said at the time, "Ranma my boy, it looks like Ryoga will become part of the anything goes school of martial arts. Someone has to bring him up to our standards. Being closer to his age I'm sure you can do a better job than me. You'll begin tommorrow morning." As Ranma had said at the time, "Gimmie a break Pop. You just want to be able to sleep in and not have to run our morning sparring matches." "That's just a coincidence. Anyway I'm not getting any younger." In any event it had become their new morning routine. And if someone got hurt? Well accidents do happen. Actually they didn't inflict injuries on each other with anything like their old zeal. With Ryoga no longer chasing Akane a major conflict had been resolved. Of course every time he got wet Ryoga remembered something else he owed Ranma for. Still living under the same roof as the Tendos' guests they felt it incumbent on themselves to act semi-civilized. So they'd switched from open warfare to covert guerilla action. Ranma and Ryoga moved to opposite sides of the dojo, bowed briefly then launched themselves at each other. Things quickly escalated into a close-in battle, both throwing kicks and punches as they attempted to break the others defenses. Ranma had to admit these morning sessions were improving Ryoga's skills. Ryoga was trying (and succeeding) at blocking Ranma's strikes rather than depending on his own strength to withstand impacts. Ranma still had the edge in speed but tried not to use Tenshin Amaguriken during these sessions. If he did Ryoga started using his own special techniques, they quickly escalated to throwing chi spheres at each other, large holes got blown in the walls, and Soun started demanding they pay for the fixing the dojo. Nabiki had come up with a steady way to pay for the repairs but it wasn't something either of them liked. Ranma ducked to avoid a kick from Ryoga, tried and failed to sweep his opponent off his feet, rolled clear to avoid Ryoga's counterstrike and decided to try a little psychological warfare. "So Ryoga, how many of you are there today?" Ryoga glared, he was beginning to regret telling the story of what had happened to him on Saturday. Admittedly getting abducted into a parallel world doesn't happen very often. However he'd had the photos to back up his story. He'd done a rush job on developing the film yesterday but the reaction hadn't been quite what he'd hoped for. Nabiki had complimented him on his skill and speed in fabricating pictures of groups of himself. Everyone else had just looked at him as if he was out of his mind. With somewhat strained self control he snarled, "I don't care if you believe me, I know it happened. Is it really any weirder than some of the other stuff that's happened around here?" As he said this he leapt at Ranma. Ranma dodged and struck as Ryoga flew past. Ryoga caught the blow on his forearms, hit the ground rolling and was on his feet renewing his attack. As the fight continued they kept talking. Starting to work up a sweat Ranma asked, "Come on Ryoga (kick, damn he blocked, block punch to ribs), your story's ridiculous!" Sweating himself Ryoga answered, "No, turning female every time you get wet is ridiculous. (Punch, jumpkick, duck and spin, damn! missed). Alternate universes is just ... science fiction." "Exactly fiction, you made the whole thing up to cover getting lost again. I mean you expect me to believe that anywhere Shampoo and Ukyou would pick you over me?" "I know what I saw!" Ryoga's voice was getting colder. Ranma nodded to himself, when he got mad Ryoga started fighting by strength not skill. Which would mean an easy win. "And that stuff about the other Ryogas turning into pigs? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Although I admit the animal suits you." Ryoga exploded, "OK that's it. Here I come Ranma!" He charged. Ranma had planned to simply jump over Ryoga then strike from behind sending his opponent crashing into the wall. Unfortunately he'd underestimated Ryoga's speed and momentum. Ryoga slammed into him and the impact sent them both throught the wall. In a ball of splinters and intermingled limbs they rolled through the garden coming to rest with a splash. The two girls looked at each other, landing in the pond had cooled Ryoga down. "Want to call it a draw", Ryoga-chan asked. Ranma-chan shrugged, "Fine. I think a hot bath is what we need now, if we hurry we still have time before everyone else gets moving." She surveyed the hole, "Damn, I hope there's some money left in the repairs account. Otherwise Nabiki'll be insisting on more bikini oil wrestling photos." "Afraid not, she withdrew the last as her consultant's fee for managing the funds." A slight white lie, the money had gone into certain house renovations but Ryoga wasn't about to describe them. "At least we've got a steady customer in Kuno." "That creep." Something occurred to Ranma. "Hey if there really are worlds where you don't turn female what does Kuno do?" "Restricts himself to chasing you and Akane." "Lucky you." "If turning into a pig is lucky." Ranma-chan shrugged, "Whatever. Look if you let this crossover business drop I'll do the same." Ryoga-chan sighed, no one believed her so why keep on about it, "Fine." As they headed for the bathroom she asked, "Do you thing Kuno's ever going to figure out who we really are?" "No way, the guy's a total moron. I've changed in front of him and he still doesn't get it." As they headed inside Ryoga thought about his recent adventure. While he might stop talking about it the events had lead to one profound change in his life. Nabiki had been manoeuvring for a little while to make their relationship a bit more physical. While he wasn't as shy as he'd been before Jusenkyo (continually turning female had removed a lot of the mystery) he had been feeling they should wait until they were older. Of course Nabiki was a year older than him, still ... Then he saw himself die. Well not himself but the Ryoga of another world. It brought home just how short life could be. So shortly after his return to this world he had made it clear to Nabiki he was ready if she was. They had taken precautions, one of which wasn't quite as secret as he thought. It was during breakfast, a little while later, that it almost hit the fan. Akane was studying the people around the table. Ryoga and Nabiki were sitting together and looking indecently happy. Akane figured at this rate anyone could figure out what those to were up to. She glanced around the table, on second thoughts maybe not. Ranma and her father were oblivious to anything besides food, Mr Saotome was in his panda form and busy reading the newspaper and always Kasumi gave the impression of not existing in the same reality as everyone else. At which point Kasumi remembered something. She pulled an envelope from her apron pocket and told her sister, "Nabiki I forgot but this letter arrived for you a little while ago. I accidently put under a cookbook and didn't find it until just now. It seems to be an invoice from the Nakamura Industrial Quality Soundproofing Company ..." Ryoga began choking on his mitso soup. Nabiki, with a speed Ranma found impressive, snatched the bill from her sister's hand. "Oh this, don't worry about it. I'll pay this off today, forget about it." Everyone stopped to look at Nabiki. Hearing her volunteer to spend money rather than just accumulate it seemed like a violation of the natural order of the universe. Even Ryoga, who had recently been part of an actual violation of reality, would have agreed with this assessment. At that point a (sort of) lucky break appeared. Two well aimed buckets of water struck Ranma and Ryoga. Almost as soon as they'd changed sex the wrinkled form was bouncing between the two of them. "Aaaargh! Happosai!" Ranma-chan peeled the pervert off her breasts and tossed him across the table. Directly into Ryoga-chan. "Aaaargh get off!" Ryoga-chan ripped the alleged "great master" loose and threw him across the room. Where he immediately latched onto the Ranma. "Don't throw him over him moron! OFF YOU LITTLE CREEP!" "I don't want him, AAAARGH!" Tossing (and striking) the pervert between them the two former boys headed deeper into the house. Soun and Genma followed, perhaps while Happosai's attention was on Ranma and Ryoga they could finally get the drop on their former sensei. Kasumi said, "My goodness, everyone's finished so soon." She began gathering dishes. "I'll put some hot water on, I'm sure the boys will want to change before school." She headed into the kitchen. Nabiki folded the letter and stuck it in a pocket. She made a mental note to intercept the bill for the new wallpaper in her room when it came. It wouldn't do to have anyone wondering if the paper was covering anything. Especially daddy. Akane leaned close so she wouldn't be overheard. "You really lucked out with that distraction. A little longer and even Ranma might have figured it out." "I don't know what you're talking about." Akane sighed, "Come on. I was there when Ryoga got back from whatever it was that happened to him." Nabiki arched an eyebrow at her, "Feeling jealous." Akane colored slightly then laughed. "Me and Ranma? Come on! He'd have to be the last boy in the world. And even then only if I knew for sure hell had frozen over." She didn't like Nabiki's grin. From the commotion in the den things were getting more serious. Akane sighed. She was fed up of constant chaos and weird martial artists showing up every hour of the day. Could life be any worse? ***************************************************************************** Early Monday Morning - Tendo Dojo - Guyver Ryoga Timeline One thing Ryoga really wished the Guyver Unit could do for him was eliminate the need to sleep. Since he'd first been joined to it he'd learned a lot about its powers. However either it couldn't do that or he didn't know how yet. He tried to rationalize it as a desire to protect the others 24 hours a day. But in his heart he knew it was a desire to avoid the dreams. No one can stay awake forever. About 3 A.M. he'd fallen asleep. At first his sleep was dreamless, but spurred by either the Guyver unit or his own guilt the dreams began towards dawn. In the dream he was wandering aimlessly through a forest, no idea where he was or how he got there. Nerima had to be around here somewhere. That was when the voice called his name. Before him was something that looked like a fat discus. Through openings in the metal the organic fibers coiled inside could be seen. The voice whispered to him, "Ryoga, you want to be the greatest fighter who ever lived. I can give you that. Pick me up and you'll be invincible. No one will be able to stand against you. That's what you want isn't it?" Yes, that was what he wanted. No more being made to look like a fool in front of Akane. As he reached for it the device became a crown. He placed it on his head. The voice whispered, "All hail Ryoga Hibiki, the greatest warrior of all time!" In a colder voice it whispered to him, "Now here are your opponents. Prove you are the greatest." Huge monsterous, dark but ill defined shapes surrounded him. As they got closer they took the shape of mythical creatures. It didn't matter, Ryoga could feel the power burning within him. He launched himself at his foes, nothing could stand before him! Dragons, Ogres, Oni all fell before him in a spray of blood and crushed bone. This was triumph, he shook a fist at the sky and laughed. Then the ground erupted before him. The people who had lain under the ground crawled out of their graves and stood before him. They were all dead, their injuries made that clear. Ukyou's intestines spilled from the slash running from her abdomen to just below her neck. Moose held his severed head cradled before him in his hands. The burned and crushed one had to be Happosai, only the small stature made him identifiable. Genma was the neatest looking of the four. Except for the circular hole in his chest where the horn had penetrated he looked almost alive. Though they were silent Ryoga could hear them. The words, "you killed us" kept echoing through his mind. He stepped back, away from his accusers. They didn't follow, they just stood there watching him. He stopped, memory and dream intermingled. "No", he told them, "I didn't kill you, Kronos killed you." "They didn't want us", Ukyou whispered emotionlessly, "They wanted you." "We just got in their way.", Genma added tonelessly. "I wouldn't have been caught in that attack if you weren't there", Mousse told him. "I died helping you", the thing that had been Happosai croaked. "You chose to do that Happosai. We owe you our lives for that. But your blood, all of your blood, is on Kronos's hand. They murdered you. I do not accept your judgement. I didn't kill you!" Ryoga spoke with confidence. He was not the guilty one here, Gyro and those other Kronos bastards were the killers. "But you did kill me Ryoga." Unlike the others the voice from behind him sounded alive. It was gently reproachful and instantly recognisable. Ryoga felt his blood turn to ice. She was behind him, he had to turn. But he couldn't face her! But he had to! He didn't want to see her! He had to look! He couldn't! He heard footsteps behind him and spun. Kasumi, looking very alive, stood about six feet behind him. She held out her arms to him and stepped closer. Ryoga backed away. The dead were behind him but he didn't care, Kasumi was far more terrifying. "Get back!" She stopped advancing and gently told him, "It's all right. I'm not here to hurt you." "Don't come any closer!" Her voice was soothing, "You did what you had to, there was no other way." "Stop it!" "I forgive you." "KEEP AWAY FROM ME!" Ryoga fell to his knees. She couldn't forgive him, no one could. He'd saved Nabiki but the cost! Then he heard Nabiki scream again and it was getting louder and ... outside? And he was waking up and he still heard Nabiki screaming. He was awake and back in the guest room Ranma and his father had shared. Before Genma died and Ranma moved in with Akane. He wasn't dreaming anymore but Nabiki was still screaming! He dived for the door, on the verge of triggering the Guyver Unit. In the next room Ranma and Akane snapped awake and headed for their door. Soun slept on, locked in his own nightmares one more scream was nothing new. Nabiki had her own nightmares, after what she'd been through it would have been strange if she didn't. The same dream kept repeating over and over again. It always began the same way, more of a memory than a dream. They had succeeded in rescuing Kasumi from the Kronos installation. In the confusion Ranma, Akane and Soun had become separated from them. Nabiki had insisted on joining the rescue, she had figured separating from the fighters would be more dangerous to her than travelling with them. Now she, Ryoga and Kasumi were the only ones around. Ryoga, in the Guyver armour was carrying the semi conscious Kasumi. She mumbled occasionally but didn't seem really aware of her circumstances. Ryoga had been scanning for the others when the transformation began. Suddenly Kasumi had howled and her body began to stretch. Her hands morphed into claws, white fur exploded from under her skin, four insectlike pinchers ripped out of her back. In seconds she was gone and the thing stood in her place. As the transformation began Ryoga had dropped her and rolled away fast. He studied the creature from a distance and Nabiki heard him blurt, "Enzyme!" Nabiki remembered the name, that was the creature that had ... well, killed him. He'd been recreated by the Guyver unit but he'd never really gotten over the expeience. It would be later that Nabiki learned the creature her sister had become was a more advanced form of the Enzyme Zoanoid. Instinctively Ryoga targeted the Zoanoid. Then froze, this was Kasumi, he couldn't hurt her. It spat something at him, he dodged but caught a few droplets and felt them burn. Just like the original version this one could destroy him with bioacid. Worse, it didn't need to touch him to use the acid. It charged him with incredible speed for something so big. He dodged and kept dodging. Its strikes were fast and without hesitation. It wasn't going to stop until it nailed him. As he weaved to avoid it he kept calling her name, hoping for some sign of her. There was none. Watching them Nabiki realized that unless Kasumi stopped trying to kill him Ryoga would have no choice but to use the Guyver's power. Which would kill Kasumi! She had to stop this, Kronos couldn't have wiped out all traces of Kasumi's mind! Not so quickly, it just wasn't possible. Please, that had to be right. Ryoga had jumped backwards about fifteen metres to give himself room to manoeuvre. Nabiki had taken the opportunity and dashed between them. Ignoring Ryoga's frantic call for her to get clear Nabiki had addressed her sister. The creature had looked down at her in some puzzlement as she pleaded with it. "Please Kasumi, I know you're in there somewhere. This isn't you, you hate violence. You've got to come back now, if you don't he'll hurt you. You've got to stop this, we, I need you. Show me you're in there somewhere." She was crying by this point, "For God's sake ... come back to your family. We love you!" It was an impassioned and moving speech. Unfortunately the Kronos technicians had done a good job of brainwashing. The artificial personality they had constructed didn't know it was part of Kasumi Tendo. What it did know was that the thing before it was not a Zoanoid and was blocking the way to its prey. That made it a target. One of its pinchers slashed downward, catching Nabiki across the face. She screamed as the pain hit and fell to the ground. The Zoanoid swept its right arm back for the killing strike. On the ground clutching the left side of her face Nabiki watched the claw coming down! She heard Ryoga scream her name and then the world exploded into light. The megasmasher burst burned over her head and enveloped the creature. At this point dream and memory parted company. In the real world the Zoanoid had been vaporized almost instantaneously. In the dream the figure in the light became Kasumi again. She began screaming as her clothing ignited, and continued as her skin blackened and burned away. Her flesh melted leaving a skelton somehow still screaming in the midst of the nuclear fire. Kasumi's screaming merged with Nabiki's own as she broke from dream to the dubious safety of the real world. Nabiki's scream was beginning to end as Ryoga slammed through the door. He was looking for a target, on the verge of summoning the Guyver. Crying she grabbed him, needing to hold someone. Ryoga was feeling distinctly uncomfortable as Ranma and Akane followed him in. "Just another nightmare", he muttered. He was still more at ease with violence than emotion. Nabiki realized who she was holding and released him. She looked very vulnerable in her nightdress and without the patch that normally covered her left eye. The scar that ran the length of her face looked brighter than usual. Sniffing she told them, "Just that dream again. Don't be so tense you guys. I'm fine, really." Akane hugged her sister feeling Nabiki's shakes subside. With a little more insight than usual Ranma told Ryoga, "Hey let's go start our morning workout. The girls have stuff to talk about." Happy for the distraction Ryoga followed him out, "Uh yeah, sure. But shouldn't you put some clothes on first?" Turning a bit red Ranma ducked into Akane's room. A little while later in the dojo proper the two of them faced off. It wasn't much of a contest. Ranma kept tagging Ryoga easily, far too easily. Ryoga didn't use to be this bad. "Come on man, you're not even trying." Ryoga picked himself off the floor. "No I'm not. What's the point? None of our skills do more than scratch the Zoanoids. There's only one thing that works against them and I'm beginning to hate it almost as much as I hate Kronos." He remembered his dream, you get to be the best, but the price is more than you can bear. Ranma walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Ryoga, you've done what you had to do. OK,i f you hadn't found the Guyver unit a lot of people would still be ali..." Ranma's voice wavered. He continued, "A lot of people have been killed, Ukyou and my father among them. But Kronos are the ones who did it. They were always in the shadows, killing to protect their secrets. From what that bastard Gyro said they're getting close to attempting their world conquest scheme. There's no saying how many will suffer and die during that! But now we have a chance to fight them, and you're the key." Ryoga sighed, "I'm ready to fight them, but where do we go? When the Kronos building came down we lost our only lead to them. They're out there somewhere but how do we find them?" Ranma was silent, he had no answer. Still they probably wouldn't have to find Kronos. Kronos kept finding them. Upstairs Nabiki had calmed down, at least on the outside. Inside contradicting thoughts bounced around her mind. "He murdered my sister! He saved my life! It's all his fault! It's all Kronos's fault." She forced a smile, "So shouldn't we be getting ready for school?" A tired joke, they had dropped out some weeks back. There had been some close calls when classes separated them. As well their presence had endangered the other students. It had become apparent Kronos intended to eliminate everyone who knew about Ryoga and the Guyver unit. So they stuck together. The four of them and Father were the only ones left who knew the secret. Which left the question what did they do now? Strangely school, Kronos and Guyver units were on the mind of one other person. Across town at the Kuno Mansion Tatewaki Kuno examined the device on the table before him. Sasuke had retrieved the device yesterday. Neither of them knew what it was but both knew that the people in Kronos wanted it badly. Kuno had been recruited to Kronos's cause by a man of noble bearing who had told him that Kronos, an organization of those superior to the common dross, wished to bring humility to the odious Saotome and his repellant friend Hibiki. To properly administer justice they required someone to keep them informed of their activities. Further to ensure they were not mistreating the Tendo sisters someone must keep an eye on them. Sadly they did not have an agent at Furikan High who could accomplish this. However in surveying the school they had discovered one youth who possessed the nobility that Kronos required. They would be humbly greatful if he be willing to become part of their venture. Kuno had, of course, fallen for this and signed up. He was unaware he was actually just a first circle agent. These being the outer ring of the Kronos operation who know little about the true goals and objectives of the corporation. The existence of Zoanoids isn't mentioned until ascension to the second circle. At the time it was felt an agent in Furikan would be useful. But then the targets dropped out so Kuno became inactive as an agent. His only contact with them recently had been the arrival of a memo detailing a device called a Guyver unit. All agents were advised to look for it and contact Kronos if they found it. There were various warnings concerning what not to do if it was found. The matter being of little interest Kuno had told Sasuke to take care of it. The family's ninja servant had come through. After weeks of searching he had located the device and brought it to Kuno. Kuno had decided to wait until monday to inform Kronos about his find. This should make them truly appreciate his value. He was merely uncertain if he should call them before he went to school or after he came home. He examined the device once again. It was a strange looking thing, it resembled a fat hollow discus with a core of thick pink fibers. Whatever it was for he couldn't imagine. At which point Kodachi entered the living room. She would delight in spoiling his triumph. He quickly grabbed the device and moved his hand behind his back. "Why brother dear, whatever are you hiding?" Kodachi asked, attempting to sound innocent. She didn't do a very good job. "Nothing that concerns you wench", Kuno answered coldly. At which point, somewhat belatedly, he remembered an important point on the memo. It had read "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT BARE SKIN TO CONTACT THE GUYVER UNIT". The same device he was now holding behind his back in his left hand. "Did I err?" he asked rhetorically. The answer was presumably yes because the Guyver unit activated its merger process. Pseudopods exploded from the device and wrapped themselves around Kuno. He screamed, first in surprise, then in pain as the Guyver began integrating itself to his nervous system. Kuno became a writhing, howling mass of tentacles on the floor. Kodachi was a little surprised by this turn of events. She had come in here to torment her brother prior to departing for St. Bacchus's school for the slightly psychotic. Now she was witnessing her brother apparently being consumed by one of the extras from "Legend of the Overfiend". While it might be entertaining to watch she would wind up being late. Besides once it was finished with Kuno it might be unhealthy to be in the same room as it. In the videos those things with tentacles preferred doing unpleasant things to female victims. So it would be wisest to leave. Still she did feel a minor responsibility to help her brother. So on her way out she kicked Sasuke awake, told him Kuno required assistance and left. Sasuke took one look in the living room then departed to seek an exorcist. Behind him the merger of man and alien continued. Across town, at the headquarters of Tempus Research and Development Incorporated Commander Gyro had arrived. With the destruction of the Tokyo branch of the Kronos Corporation this subsidiary was the only base remaining in Tokyo. Tempus's director was glad he had anticipated Gyro's early arrival, everything was ready. Still what he saw wasn't going to put Gyro in a good mood and it's never a good idea to upset a Zoalord. Gyro was escorted to the screening room. "Welcome to Tempus ...", Director Nagaoka began. Gyro cut him off, "You have the tape of yesterday's incident?" "Uh yes sir, we've finished enhancing it and ..." "Roll it then." "Yes sir." Nagaoka dimmed the lights. He was sweating, normally he just had to worry about research. Tempus had been set up to test alien technology whose functions seemed ambiguous. Sometimes they found useful weapons but mostly it was material designed to serve more mundane purposes. The hypersonic disrupter that turned out to be the alien equivalent of an electric shaver was a prime example. But with Kronos Japan gone combat missions were getting based out of Tempus. The last one of which had been a total disaster. Along with something of a mystery. A still picture of a street flashed up on the large wall screen. Nagaoka decided to summarize events to this point. "As you know sir the plan was relatively simple. While Hibiki was isolated from the others team one moved in. The idea was Hibiki converts to the Guyver in response to the threat posed by the Gregore and Ramothis Zoanoids. When he does so the two Enzyme Mark 2 units activate and kill him. At which point team 2 would enter the Tendo home and kill everyone inside." Gyro looked at him, his eyes glowed red. "What went wrong." "Uh well we don't exactly know. The observer on the scene claimed Hibiki wiped out all four Zoanoids without activating the Guyver. The observer was killed and all his recording equipment was destroyed. We think by some sort of highly localized electromagnetic pulse." Gyro was looking impatient. Nagaoka decided to hurry. "Anyway before he died the observer managed to call in the second team for support. There were no survivors but when we examined the scene we realized a surveillance camera on a nearby bank machine might have caught some of the action. It took considerable computer enhancement but we reconstructed some of the action. If you'll observe the upper right quadrant." He fiddled with the remote and expanded that section to encompass the whole screen. He started the image running. On the screen a somewhat grainy figure resembling Ryoga Hibiki appeared. The figure suddenly dived to the side. As he did a glowing sphere formed between his hands and launched itself at something offscreen. The picture vanished in a flare of light. It resolved itself in time to show Hibiki throwing a bandanna at an unseen target. It circled back to him, he caught it and walked offscreen. The director froze the picture. "The time index on the tape corresponds to the time the second Zoanoid team was wiped out. Beyond that we know very little." After a moments thought Gyro said, "We've known for some time that it is possible for some humans to channel their chi energy. In fact I have scientists who theorize it results from possessing activated Zoanoid genes." "With respect sir it doesn't explain the circumstances. Hibiki has been shown to be capable of chi generation but not at a level that could hurt a Zoanoid. Except maybe at pointblank range and given the time required to generate the power he wouldn't live long enough to strike. Besides chi bursts result in kinetic impacts, from the burn marks where the Zoanoids died they were hit with a burst of high intensity heat. We suspect the sphere he generated was some sort of focused plasma. "How is this possible?" Nagaoka almost said "we have no real idea". But as he hoped to survive this meeting he'd ordered his staff to think of something. Dr. Maxwell had given him an answer, for a small price. So he said, "We have a theory Sir. As you recall Hibiki was apparently killed by the Enzyme prototype. Instead his mind was absorbed by the control medallion which then rebuilt his body by cloning from genetic traces." Gyro remembered the incident well. It had ended with him trapped in the collapsing Kronos building. That ridiculous little dwarf had destroyed the support pillars. He'd been fatally wounded but blown the plastique he'd planted before he died. Then the walls came tumbling down. Gyro had survived but it had been closer than he liked to admit. "Your point being?" "Well we assumed the Guyver unit had constructed a body physically identical to Hibiki's original form. What if it didn't? What if it reconstructed him so the merger between him and the unit was closer. So that he has access to some of the Guyver's weapon systems while in his "human" form. It could be that despite appearances he's as far from human as we are." "There is a certain logic to that. I will think on this. Leave me." "Yes sit but before I go ..." "Make it quick Director." "We would be delighted if you could have a look at some of Doctor Maxwell's work on the alien propulsion systems. He's found some fascinating things ... " Gyro cut him off, "Will it serve as a means of fighting, tracking or neutralizing Guyver Units?" "Not as such Sir." "Then I'm not interested. After we take over it might be useful but until then pure research is useless to Kronos. Now go." Nagaoka left to tell Maxwell he wouldn't be getting an extension on his current project. It would have to be abandoned for the time being. Maxwell would be far from happy. Behind him alone in the darkened room Commander Gyro, one of the twelve Zoalords who rule Kronos groaned. He rested his head on his hands, this whole Guyver project was turning into a nightmare. His own plans for using the Guyver units were on hold. He had to recover the damn things before the whole council turned on him. Initially everything was fine, the units were uncovered and awaiting study. Then a defector ran off with the only three existing units. The units were scattered and that damned Hibiki found one of them. Tracing him proved next to impossible, no one seemed to know where to find him. If he hadn't shown up in Nerima to settle an old score they'd still be looking for him. Meanwhile the second unit was recovered damaged leading to its destruction in a battle with Hibiki. The third unit was recovered but the truck transporting it was blown open by an armour piercing rocket. Obviously an inside job, who outside Kronos knew the units had any value? The attacker had fled without the unit but whoever it was remained at large. In the confusion the third unit was lost again. Gyro had sent word to have every agent in Japan search for it. He needed it and quickly. So far not a clue. Where was it. As a Zoalord Gyro was supposed to be above the petty ailments of mere mortals. Despite which he was sure he was developing an ulcer. Meanwhile in a lab nearby Dr. Maxwell had just received the bad news. He stalked around the lab swearing and occasionally breaking unimportant glassware. His staff were taking bets on if he'd transform and start punching holes in the concrete walls. Then Maxwell calmed down, there was a strange look in his eyes. He smiled, "Gyro wants a way to neutralize the Guyver and nothing else eh. Well I think I know how to provide it." He looked at his staff, "We're going to resume our dimensional displacement experiments. If I'm right we can send the Guyver on a one way trip to infinity". Continued Next in part 2: Ranma vs Guyver Kuno Ryoga vs Ryoga? Zoanoids, Androids and other weirdness Coming soon: Part 2 - Entangled Lines Guyver Ryoga / Ryoga 1/2 : Worlds in Collision A fanfic about three alternate Ranma 1/2 Universes by Mark Latus Part 2 : Entangled Lines 2 pm July 1st 2120 AD - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Imperial Timeline Having downloaded his report on timeline Gamma and being without a current assignment Ryogoid 207 left to get some fresh air. He didn't actually breathe but, along with other human characteristics, found it preferable to take in some sights rather than sit around the maintenance bay. He consulted his geography files and plotted a course to the park nearest the Secondary Timeprobe Facility. His prior assignments had been based from the Primary Facility but the Rocky Mountain Site was currently undergoing repairs after the recent rebel incursion. The Emperor had initially considered basing the Timeprobe bases in Japan but, being sentimental about his homeland, had chosen to site them in foreign lands. Being linked to the worldwide network distance was irrelevent to him and it avoided the chance of a disaster in Japan. The unfortunate incident which destroyed the prototype Timescoop and blighted Eastern Siberia proved this was a wise policy. 207 arrived in the parkland and looked around with quiet satisfaction. He thought about the twentieth century Ryogas who had destroyed unit 303. When they imagined the Empire they had undoubtably visualized a bleak, barren world with the few humans enslaved by terminator-like machines. Instead this city, the whole world, was stable and more prosperous than it had ever been in their timelines. The slums were gone, global population was stabilised at two billion, solar power satellites provided clean power, raw materials from the asteroids meant heavy industry was based in space, the ecosystem was now cleaner than it had been before the industrial revolution began. All the Emperor asked in exchange was obedience, what was so bad about that? 207 remembered the rebels and their talk about freedom. Freedom! As if most of the human race had been free before the Empire. He shook his head, the naivety of those people never ceased to amaze him. Still it should cease to be a problem in a few decades. Genetic manipulation had already greatly reduced the number of humans capable of resistance. In thirty years it was estimated none of the humans being born would be able to understand the concept of resistance. 207 continued his walk acknowledging the respectful nods of those who passed. He was, like all his kind, a symbol of both Emperor and Empire. The man who'd built the Empire and the machines who maintained it. There were a few surly looks but those were the definite minority. None of the discontented ones looked like they had enough spine to actually cause any trouble. Yes, 207 mused, life was good. Forceable sterilization to ensure children were only born in Imperial birth centers had been an excellent move. It had ensured the end of overpopulation as well as the end of heredity disease. Anyone whose genetics didn't measure up to Imperial standards never got permission to breed. This had eliminated inheritable disease, along with a few ethnic groups the Emperor had taken a dislike too. 207 stopped near the park's center to study the statue. The most popular sculpture in the Empire was Ryoga Hibiki standing triumphant over the broken body of Ranma Saotome. A slight case of artistic license, actually at the time the future Emperor had been extremely shocked. But with hindsight he'd come to appreciate the moment so the statues were commisioned as described. This was an example of the second most popular sculpture. Studying the girl depicted in marble 207 felt a pang in his metaphorical soul. A sense of loss over a woman who'd died years before he was constructed. She was shown as she had looked in her late teens, the way the Emperor would always remember her. The plaque on the statue was simple, "AKANE TENDO 1978-2015". Below that, translated into Portugese was one of the Emperor's most famous quotes. It read "IT IS AN ACT OF TRUE GREATNESS TO BE ABLE TO SACRIFICE YOUR ONE TRUE LOVE". Patriotism surged through 207's cybernetic brain. That was so profound, everything had a cost. To become great meant paying a great price, but it was worth it. It was at that moment the call came over the Ryogoid crisis network. All exploration units in the vicinity were to return to Janeiro Center immediately. Since they could interface from anywhere physical presence meant they were being time/space shifted. "Perhaps", 207 thought, "I'll get to see what's going on back in Gamma." In all five Ryogoids arrived at the center. They were still a minority among the android population, the bulk of the population was still standard enforcement/battle units. They interfaced with the Imperial network. The intelligence that lived in the net had once been human. Now his flesh was gone but the mind of Ryoga Hibiki lived on. Some had said he sacrificed his humanity long before the final interface. Those traitors had, of course, been dealt with. For order to flourish there must be respect. Translated to human terms the five explorers were told, "207's recent mission indicates a possible danger to our history. There have been no signs of a paradox wave emenating from our past so we must consider the rebel threat to our history as minor. Possibly further in the future we will have the precision timescoop equipment we need to deal with it." "In the meantime the mystery of the fluxline remains. If dimensional shifting is developed during the late twentieth century that line will have a definite advantage over us. Therefore you will be inserted at a point prior to the flux but after 207's recent visit and scan for dimensional disturbances. You will be based in the Nerima district, for 207 to have detected the pulse indicates the source was somewhere in the region. <207's recent memories were downloaded to the other four>. To ensure there is no repeat of 207's recent problem you will undergo facial remodeling." None of the androids showed any sign but all of them rejoiced. At last, individuality. They desired it, a side effect of possessing human emotions, but were all designed identically to the other members of their model number. After all they were supposed to be instantly identifiable to the human population. That was the whole point. With a light step the five headed for the maintenance bay. **************************************************************************** The Present, Early Monday Afternoon - Kuno Mansion - Guyver Ryoga Timeline Sasuke cautiously entered the house, under his breath he muttured every prayer he could remember. His quest to find an exorcist willing to accompany him and aid Master Kuno had failed. Perhaps he had been a little too vivid in describing the hideous monstrosity that was consuming his young lord. The best he had been able to obtain was a pack of spirit warding cards. The exorcist had assured him they would repel all but the most powerful of demons. He had asked what would happen if the creature was a very powerful demon and been told not to worry. If it was powerful enough to ignore the cards he'd be dead before he knew what had hit him. With this somewhat dubious reassurance he had headed back to the Mansion. Perhaps he shouldn't have stopped for lunch enroute but he had no desire to die hungry. "Ah good Sasuke ..." The voice broke off as Sasuke jumped ten feet into the air and bounced off the ceiling. He peeled himself off the floor and confronted Master Kuno. Who looked perfectly normal, no sign of red eyes, tentacles or an air of malignant menace. Of course except for the tentacle part Kodachi showed all those signs everyday. "Master Kuno ... Take these!" Sasuke thrust the cards into Kuno's hands and flung himself away. Kuno did nothing supernatural, he merely studied the cards with a look of bafflement. "Are you well Sasuke? What makes you think I have any use for spiritual assistance?" Not really understanding what was happening Sasuke asked Kuno, "There was an ... incident this morning ..." Kuno raised a hand, "There was indeed good Sasuke. The fates have truly smiled upon the House of Kuno. At last I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinken High, have the means to avenge myself against the accursed Ranma Saotome. None of his sorcerous tricks shall prevail against the power of Justice. Today I strike the final blow against the wretch and free my two loves from bondage to that monster!" Kuno was becoming rather worked up by the end of this speech, possibly due to a mental image involving Akane, the pig tailed girl and a dungeon. Sasuke was rather puzzled by all this. Master Kuno certainly sounded normal enough, but if that was so what had he seen this morning? Kuno calmed down and cleared his throat. "But first I have an important phone call to make. In the meantime Sasuke the underground training hall needs a cleanup. See to it." "Yes Master Kuno." Sasuke headed down to the basement. Was it possible Master Kuno was too single minded to be possessed? Entering the training hall Sasuke realized that "cleanup" was an understatment. The whole place was a disaster area. Support pillars appeared to have been slashed into cylindrical chunks, the south wall was ... gone. It looked as if the wood panelling and the concrete beneath had somehow been burned away, exposing the surrounding earth. The floor was pockmarked with the marks of small fires and footshaped holes. There were what appeared to be fist sized holes in the other walls. What had happened here? Meanwhile at Tempus Inc. Director Nagaoka put down his phone and groaned aloud. The first thing to do was test this Tatewaki Kuno's claim. If it was true his next worry was to think of how to explain this fiasco to Commander Gyro. It was an hour later before Kuno departed on his Ranma hunt. He kept rewriting the speech he would deliver before dispatching Saotome. He was still torn between a lengthy listing of Saotome's crimes and a short and sweet "Farewell wretch" declamation. Sasuke emerged from his hopless task long enough to bid his Master farewell. "Master Kuno, are you sure you will not require my aid?" Kuno smiled, "No good Sasuke, continue with the repairs. It is unfitting that I should bring my true loves to a house that is anything less than perfect. Though my presence will doubtless distract them from all notice of decoration." That was when Sasuke noticed something extremely odd. "Master Kuno! You have forgotten you bokken!" Again Kuno smiled, "Saotome is unworthy to spill his blood upon that noble blade. Besides I have gained something better." As Kuno left the mansion a concealed watcher raised his communicator. At Tempus the Director nodded. "Very good Garvel. Remember you observe only, neither assist Vertis nor expose yourself." He switched to another communication channel, "Vertis you see your target? Very good. Now remember before you transform and strike tell him, 'Master Saotome sends you greetings from the bowels of Hell'. What? Never mind what it means just tell him that." Feeling annoyed he switched back to Garvel (not the name he'd been born with, in Chronos you got assigned a new name after rebirth. A tradition dating back centuries to Kronos's days as a cult.) "Ok do you see Vertis. He's expendable, both of them are. So what do you see? Uh huh, confronting Kuno ... makes speech ... transforms to Ramothis form ... Kuno backs away, shouts 'Guyver', armour forms around him. Is Vertis running away? No? Good! That'll help. OK, Kuno unfolds his sonic swords, cuts Vertis in half, starts making speech about fighting all powers of hell to free his loves ... no just transcribe it, don't repeat it. Ok, keep him under surveillance until further orders." Director Nagaoka shut down his communicator. Then he began a litany of obscenities. Having blown off some steam he began considering how he was going to explain this latest fiasco to Commander Gyro. ***************************************************************************** Monday Afternoon - Nerima Restaurant District - Ryoga 1/2 Timeline With school through for the day Ryoga and Nabiki were heading home. Arm in arm they strolled past the Nekohanten. Mousse was crouched by the door, undoubtably waiting to ambush Ranma. At which point Shampoo moved up behind him and dumped a bucket of water over him. Grabbing the struggling duck she marched off to the cage in the back of the restaurant. It seemed Shampoo was also waiting for Ranma to pass by. She was doomed to be disappointed, since this route home lead by both the Nekohanten and Ukyou's restaurant Ranma preferred to take an alternate route home. Having had another argument with Ranma Akane had stalked off on her own, also seeking a path without other fiances on it. Ryoga felt Nabiki poke him gently, "So what are you thinking about?" No reason not to tell her, "Just glad I never wound up with multiple fiances." Nabiki smiled, "But Ryoga according to your story you're engaged to someone different in every world." Ryoga sighed, Nabiki had been teasing him about his recent adventure ever since he mentioned it. No one believed him, so why try to convince them? "Forget I ever mentioned it Ok?" "But Ryoga what about your pictures?" Nabiki certainly looked cute when she did her wide eyed innocent act. Actually she seemed impressed by his skill in faking photos of groups of Ryoga Hibikis. The only problem was they weren't fakes. By this point they were passing Ukyou's restaurant. Nabiki looked at him, "Tell you what, I'm feeling hungry, so you buy me some Okonomiyaki and maybe I'll forget your story." "I doubt that but I could use a snack myself." Lucky he had some money, he'd bet a new student he could clip a branch off a tree with a bandanna. Amazing how many people thought it was impossible to cut things with cloth. They headed inside, Ukyou greeted them and took their order. As she brought the food over Nabiki spilled some photos on the table. Ukyou noticed all the pictures were of Ryoga. Strangely there was more than one of him in every shot. Sounding innocent Nabik asked, "Ryoga which of these guys was engaged to Ukyou?" Ryoga sighed and pointed to one of the pictures, "Him, number four." "What are you two talking about?" "Sit down and join us, Ryoga will be happy to explain." Ryoga shrugged, "Why not, almost everyone else I know already thinks I'm crazy." **************************************************************************** Monday Afternoon - Nerima Restaurant District - Guyver Ryoga Timeline Since supplies were running low Ryoga, Ranma and the Tendos were heading grocery shopping. Any one of them would have been sufficent for the job but they felt it wisest to stick together. Ranma and Akane brought up the rear, watching for trouble. The problem was Zoanoids looked like anyone else until they began transforming. Once they were transformed there wasn't a lot Ranma could do to stop them. Much as he hated to admit it he had to rely on Ryoga. Not that Ryoga took any satisfaction in that admission these days. Soun was in the middle. They had to protect him, after Kasumi's death he'd begun losing his grip on reality. Ryoga was on point, scanning everyone who walked near as he tried to spot Zoanoids through sheer willpower. Nabiki walked with Ryoga, ensuring he went in the right direction. She alternated between hanging onto him and keeping a discrete distance. Ranma couldn't figure it out, half the time she clung to Ryoga the other half she seemed terrified of him. Their relationship, whatever it was, mystified him. He walked with a arm over Akane's shoulders. His romantic problems were resolved but it wasn't anything like the method he'd chosen. They were passing the Nekohanten Restaurant. It was out of business, Cologne had returned to Japan shortly after Mousse died. It had been a senseless death. Mousse had come over to the Dojo intending to challenge Ranma over Shampoo. His timing stunk, he had arrived during an attack by the so-called Hyperzoanoids. During the melee Mousse had been decapitated by one of the swordarms of the Thancrus Zoanoid. After the battle all the bodies except his had begun dissolving, Uncertain what to do they had phoned Cologne. She had arrived in time to witness the Zoanoids melting away. The shocked teenagers had explained events to her and waited to see what she would do. Cologne had tossed a glass of water over Mousse's corpse demonstrating that the curse of Jusenkyo continued to operate after death. Then she had put the duck's remains in her basket and told them no one would think anything of an old woman taking supplies into her restaurant. She departed. The next night she somehow got into the house without anyone noticing her. Attracting their attention she explained that recent events had convinced her that Ranma would make a poor son-in-law as he was unlikely to still be alive by the end of the year. Not wishing to lose her great- granddaughter she was returning to her village, which was small enough that they could be sure Kronos hadn't infiltrated. At that point they had noticed Cologne had a cat carrier with a furious feline inside. Shampoo wasn't giving up on Ranma so Cologne had transformed and confined her. Feeling queasy, Ryoga had asked what she had done with Mousse's body. Cologne had produced a porcelain jar and told him it contained Mousse's ashes. She had returned him to human form and cremated him, the jar would be delivered to his parents for the appropriate rites. As Cologne had said, "He was a fool but he was one of us." Cologne had departed as silently as she came. None of them had seen her or Shampoo since. As he walked Ryoga's thoughts again turned to the Guyver unit. After he'd merged with it he'd thought a familiar pattern was beginning. Find a new technique/weapon, go challenge Ranma. That was how things used to work around here. But now the pattern was shattered and there was no saying how things would work out. Ranma was watching the crowd so Akane was the first to see it happen. Her startled cry brought Ranma's attention to where she was looking. He was just in time to see Ryoga and Nabiki fade from translucent images into thin air. He rushed forward, his thrusting hands encountered nothing. They had vanished without a trace. Suddenly the people around him seemed a lot more threatening. If Zoanoids attacked now they were in real trouble. There were Zoanoids watching. Their orders were to observe but stay clear of the Guyver. If the opportunity presented itself they were to terminate the Tendos and Saotome. Something had just happened but what? Was the Guyver gone or had he somehow become invisible? There was another observer, he knew what had happened but not how. Unit 207 no longer looked like Ryoga Hibiki. He still had the same build but his face had been redesigned. Narrower cheekbones, light brown hair, a goatee, no one would mistake him for Ryoga Hibiki this time around. After arrival in this dimension and time the androids had split up. His four comrades had each taken a quarter of the city. He had chosen to keep an eye on Ryoga Hibiki. After all he had detected the pulse while very near this dimension's version of the Emperor. Perhaps the alien artifact he was merged to was capable of dimensional shifting. Apparently it wasn't, at least not on its own. This had been a resonance pulse, its source was somewhere else. Attuned to either Ryoga or Nabiki it had bounced them out of this dimension. The androids had used a similar method, a pulse aligned to a specific DNA pattern to pull Ryogas from their homelines during Operation Crossover. Evidently this method wasn't as precise, one of them had been caught by the warpfield enveloping the other. The real question was, where did they go? As he reported this to his collegues 207 received a message from 109. There had been a second resonance pulse approximately one kilometer west of his current position. Target and source unknown. At Tempus Inc. Doctor Maxwell nodded in satisfaction. He had successfully triggered the alien displacement system. The Guyver was no more, he was sure to be rewarded for this. Elsewhere in Tempus Director Nagaoka was approaching what had been, until Commander Gyro's arrival, his office. He was still uncertain how to report this to Gyro, from all accounts the Commander was in a rotten mood. It is never healthy to be around an unhappy Zoalord. Being granted permission to enter he did so and stood before his brooding superior. Gyro gave no sign of awareness that there was anyone else in the room. Nagaoka cleared his throat, "Commander Gyro, I have both good news and bad news." From the look Gyro gave him that was not the best opening to have used. Very coldly Gryo told him, "I am very close to committing an act of unspeakable carnage. Your news had better be very good." Nervously the Director continued, "Uh yes sir. The good news is that one of our agents has located the missing Guyver unit." Gyro actually smiled, "Excellent." Then he looked at Nagaoka, "And what is the bad news?" "Actually that also is the bad news. The agent in question accidentally activated the merger process and ... well we have a new Guyver." Gyro's eyes narrowed. "Tell me about the agent, a top rank agent of unquestioned ability?" This was the part Nagaoka had dreaded. "Actually he's a first circle agent we recruited as an inside man at Furinkan High School. As part of our observation policy on the first Guyver's associates. He's never even heard of Zoanoids" "A teacher?" "Uhh ... actually he's a student." Gyro looked very unhappy. "Tatewaki Kuno, age 18. Our psych people felt he was the best choice from those available ... " Nagaoka's voice trailed off and he backed away as Gyro's eyes began glowing red. Where his right hand gripped the desk the oak crumbled into sawdust. Through clenched teeth Gyro hissed, "Another teenage Guyver! Why was a first circle agent even looking for the damn unit!" "Uh, you ... you did order all agents, without exception, in the Tokyo area were to join the search." Gyro forced himself to calm down. He had given the order, the council would crucify him for this. He had to find a way to salvage this debacle. "Very well call him in. We'll cut the unit out of it and place it in storage until we find a suitable candidate." "With respect sir that could be most unwise." "You had better have a damn good reason for saying that." Sweating heavily Nagaoka told him, "As I'm sure you recall the incident at Kronos Japan showed that the Guyver unit could regenerate its human symbiote. Possibly there's a way to reprogram the unit not to do this but we don't know how. So right now if we kill Kuno and remove the unit it'll regenerate him. Right now he's loyal to us but if we murder him the new Kuno will undoubtably become our enemy and we'll be faced with two hostile Guyvers." Gyro snarled, "All right I take your point. We'll use this Kuno until we know enough to transplant the unit." He paused to think, "We need a means of being sure of controlling him, perhaps his family." "That could backfire sir, he doesn't get on with either his father or his sister. Although I have a report that his sister has the right attitude to become a great Zoanoid." Gyro sighed, a migraine on top of an ulcer. Zoalords were supposed to be immune to this sort of thing. "Find some means to be sure we can control him, then we can advance him to the second circle." A happy thought. "Perhaps he'll become a good agent and we won't have to worry about finding a new host." A worrying thought. "Keep him away from Hibiki, the last thing we need is him picking a fight with an experienced Guyver warrior and winding up like Lister. Where is he anyway?" Now how would Gyro take this? "Well according to his phone message sir, 'As surely as the snow falls in winter so justice descends upon the men of evil nature. Fate has chosen Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder, to be the instrument of vengeance. Before the sun sets this day the accursed Saotome will have paid the price for his many villainies. May the gods have mercy upon him for I shall have none. Soon the hearts of two beauties will rejoice as they are freed from the sorcerers vile clutches. I strike this blow for their sake.' End of message." For the first time Gyro looked other than angry or brooding. In complete puzzlement he asked, "What?" "That's just the way he talks Sir. We think that translates as, 'I'm going to kill Ranma Saotome.' He's on the prime assassination list so that's not a problem." Gyro cradled his head in his hands. "Wonderful. One of the most powerful weapons in existence is in the hands of melodramatic idiot. What next?" The intercom beeped. "Excuse me Sir but Doctor Maxwell insists on seeing you. He insists he's got some good news about the Guyver to deliver." With a strange sense of resignation Gyro said, "Fine let him in. This is obviously my day for getting good news." Oblivious to Gyro's mental state Doctor Maxwell entered. Addressing both his superiors. "Gentlemen I have great news. The Guyver is no more!" "What!" Flushed with success Maxwell continued. "In examining the alien propulsion array I found evidence of a spacial displacement system. Quite simply it was designed to teleport certain of their artifacts. Including Guyvers. A very useful weapon, you could teleport your Guyver warriors directly inside an enemy base." Nagaoka interrupted, "What does that have to do with your claim the Guyver is gone?" "It's quite simple sir. We set the displacement unit to teleport the Guyver but didn't set a reentry coordinate. Hibiki has been sent one a one way trip to infinity." Gyro looked at him. In a normal sounding voice he said, "You set your system to teleport Guyvers. Did it occur to you that we only have one Guyver as an enemy? We have plans for any others." "Not to worry sir, only activated Guyver units within a fifty kilometer radius were affected." The intercom beeped again, "Director Nagaoka Sir, an urgent message from Observer Garvel. He claims subject Kuno literally vanished into thin air while he was watching. He wants to know what he's supposed to do now?" Nagaoka groaned. He'd actually thought things were under control again. Gyro's smile was not a pleasant thing to witness. "Tell me something Doctor Maxwell. Before I begin killing everyone in this building do you have any other good news to share?" ***************************************************************************** Monday Afternoon - Nerima Restaurant District - Ryoga 1/2 Timeline With a strange feeling of disorientation Ryoga and Nabiki glanced around the street. There was no sign of Soun, Ranma or Akane. Which was impossible they'd been right behind them. Kronos couldn't have snatched them so easily it just wasn't possible! Ryoga glanced around the crowd searching for a sign as Nabiki called her sister's name. Then she saw it. "Ryoga!" Hearing the urgency in her voice Ryoga spun around. Where he saw something impossible. Ukyou's restaurant was back! Which was crazy, after the fire the remains had been demolished and a new coffeeshop was under construction on the site. The fire had been blamed on a propane explosion. Even the most incompetent pathologist couldn't have missed the wounds that killed Ukyou. Another example of Kronos's influence covering their tracks. Monsters attack a restaurant, kill the owner and next day it's only remembered as a tragic accident. Kronos had to be behind this but how? And why? Ryoga strode toward the entrance. Nabiki followed. He turned back to her, "This has got to be a trap of some kind. Stay here." Nabiki looked at him. "Like it's safer out here? Akane, Dad and Ranma just disappeared. They didn't even get a chance to yell a warning." Ryoga hesitated. Was she safer with him? No, when he activated the Guyver he was a warrior not a protector. He'd have to concentrate on shielding her and that could get them both killed. Beside he was dangerous to be around, she'd be safer out here. "Stay out here, scream if anyone approaches." For a second she looked defiant then she nodded. Nabiki hadn't had the same drive since her injury. She never used to give in like that. Ryoga stepped to the doors and flung them open. While this had been going on Kuno had been looking around with some confusion. He had felt a strange disorientation and the people around him looked different somehow. Almost as if he was in the midst of a different crowd. Then he caught sight of Saotome at the other end of the street. Excellent, it was time for vengeance. Meanwhile inside the restaurant Ryoga was finishing his story. There hadn't been many new customers so Ukyou had been able to hear most of his story in one sitting. She studied the pictures Nabiki had dropped on the table and announced, "That is the craziest thing I've ever heard." Nabiki nodded, "But you've gotta love a guy with an imagination that wild. If he can think up that think how many financially rewarding schemes he can come up with." "Right", Ryoga resolved never to even think about alternate universes again. Let them believe what they wanted too. His resolution didn't last long. The doors flung open and another Ryoga stalked into the restaurant. He groaned, the whole crossover mess was starting again. At which point it abruptly became a very different story. The new Ryoga snarled at them, "More duplicates! You Kronos idiots never learn. You didn't even get Nabiki right!" He glared at Ukyou, "And I don't much care for desecrating the dead!" Before any of the three could ask what he was talking about he shouted "GUYVER!" A sphere of energy surrounded him, shredding the doors and the floor into splinters. As this happened a bizarre armour formed around the figure. The glow faded and they could see the figure. He was completely enclosed in the blue armour. It looked almost organic rather than metallic. The eyes in the mask glowed red and it stepped out of the small crater it had caused. Ukyou eyes were also glowing. She snarled, "Whoever you are, nobody wrecks my restaurant!" She flung a handful of razor edged spatulas at the figure. They bounced off without effect. Blades extended from the armored forearms of the figure. They were indistinct, almost as if they were vibrating. Ryoga had no idea what was going on but the glow in the headpiece of the armour looked like trouble. He shoved Nabiki to one side as he dived the opposite way from their table. The energy beam from the medallion on its forehead sliced the table in half. That did it! Almost involuntarily the chi sphere began forming between his hands. Driven by pure rage it was complete in a fraction of the time the technique normally took. "Nobody touches Nabiki! SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!" There was a massive flare of light as it impacted the figure. Ryoga had shielded his eyes and looked at his opponent. It was unmarked! The armoured figure hadn't even twitched at the impact. "Oh shit!" Meanwhile across town Ranma's introspective walk home had been interrupted by Kuno. "What do you want Kuno?" Kuno smiled, "Saotome, this is our final meeting. Today I free my two loves from your vile grip forever." Ranma smirked, "Can't count Kuno? What happened to number three?" Kuno looked puzzled, "Three?" "Yeah, you have three true loves remember? There's Akane, the bandanna girl and the pig-tailed girl." "Bandanna girl? Who is she?" "You get dropped on your head Kuno?" This was strange, Kuno was acting like he'd never even heard of Ryoga's cursed form. Kuno remembered why he was here. "Enough of your tricks Ranma, defend yourself!" Unworried Ranma waited for Kuno to make his move. "Fine let's make this quick. By the way you forgot that wooden sword of yours." "You are unworthy of it. You are probably unworthy of this but I will have to live with that, GUYVER!" Suddenly there was a flare of light and all the paving around Kuno was pulverized into dust. When the light faded Ranma saw an armoured figure standingwhere Kuno had been. The armour was black, covered with lethal looking spines and enclosed him completely. Ranma was a little shaken but hardly about to back down. "Cute trick, but it takes more than a fancy suit to beat me!" Two razor edged blades extended from the suit. "Well that's a step in the right direction." Ok armour, have to hit it hard. "TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN" In the space of a few seconds Ranma slammed hundreds of punches into Kuno. Apart from nearly breaking his knuckles there was absolutely no damage. Kuno took a step forward, "Your hour has come Saotome!" "Not just yet Kuno." He didn't like using this technique on a loser like Kuno but that armour was really something. "MOUKO TAKABISHYA!" The chi energy burst slammed into Kuno. It dissipated against the Guyver without effect. Ranma began to realize he was in trouble. Kuno swung his right arm, the blade sliced through a telephone pole without slowing down. Yes this was trouble all right. Can't hurt him, can't stop him, only one option! The Saotome Secret Technique! Namely run like hell and hope an idea for counterattack occurs to you. "Flee Saotome but it shall do you no good. Today the Blue Thunder shall smite you and end your catalogue of wickedness. You have mocked your betters for the last time, before this day ends my loves shall be free of your nefarious clutches. Prepare youself for the trip to the afterlife ... where did he go?" A passerby pointed east, "If you mean the feller you were fighting he headed that way." "Many thanks for aiding the cause of justice!" Kuno resheathed the armblades, he didn't want to risk disembowelling a bystander while chasing Ranma. "Here I come Ranma!" Driven by the Guyver suit he charged eastward. Meanwhile back at the restaurant the Guyver was finding nothing was going as planned. The customers were panicing rather than transforming. Some were jumping out the windows because he stood between them and the door. He'd thought everyone in here would be a Zoanoid. Instead the place was full of innocent bystanders! Apart from the three duplicates everyone in here was human. That meant there was too much danger to them to use any of his energy weapons. He'd have to stick to the sonic swords and hope these three didn't have acidic blood. Across the room Ryoga, Nabiki and Ukyou were getting scared. This guy was a monster, nothing he'd been hit with had even slowed him down. Ukyou clutched the handle of her giant spatula. That was all that was left, the rest had been sliced of by the thing's blades. "I think we should get out of here guys." Nabik was sheltering behind Ryoga, "Great but he's between us and the door!" Ryoga didn't know why his counterpart was trying to kill them and didn't care. Getting them away alive was the important thing. He had a vague plan, none of the other Ryogas he'd met had his particular curse. So maybe ... "Head for the washroom!" "What?" "Just do it!" The three sprinted for the women's toilet. Now if he got cold water they had a chance! Guyver-Ryoga followed, it was time to end this. He hesitated a second, surprising himself that traces of his old bashfulness returned. Then he kicked open the door. The red haired girl screamed as he entered. A natural enough reaction when an armoured figure with built in swords charges in on you. "Where'd they go?", he demanded. Shaking, she pointed at the window. He looked out, no sign of them. Damn, they were faster than he thought. There was something familiar about the girl. Before he could ask her name he heard a scream from outside. A voice he recognised. "NABIKI!". He smashed through the outer wall heading to back to her. Behind him Ryoga-chan let out a breath she'd been holding. It actually worked. She peered through the hole the other Ryoga had left. Behind her Nabiki and Ukyou peeked out of the stall they had hidden in. What Ryoga-chan saw amazed her. Another Nabiki was screaming in terror at the woman before her. It was Kasumi, who looked extremely puzzled by something. The other Nabiki turned to run letting Ryoga see the patch that covered her left eye. Calling her name the other Ryoga ran to help Nabiki. As he did both douplegangers seemed to fade. Suddenly the extra Ryoga and Nabiki were gone. Kasumi frowned, "My goodness, that was strange." A short distance away the armoured Kuno disappeared. As he wasn't looking behind him Ranma didn't see this happen and kept running. Ryoga-chan stepped out through the hole into the street. Kasumi greeted her, "Hello Ryoga, were those friends of yours?" "No, no I don't think you could say that." Nabiki joined Ryoga and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ryoga, I'm willing to admit that story of yours might not have been totally crazy." Kasumi noticed her sister. "Oh hello Nabiki, the strangest thing just happened. I met a girl who was almost identical to you. Except for the injury, poor girl." "Injury." "Why yes, she had a patch over her left eye and a terrible scar." Nabiki turned to Ryoga-chan, "Ryoga what is going on?" Ukyou was examining the hole in her wall. "Who ... what was that guy, why was he trying to kill us and why did he look like you? The male you I mean." Ryoga sighed, "I don't know, a few minutes back no one believes my story now you all expect me to be an expert? Now should ... did you hear that?" Before anyone could answer a blur sped into the alley, "AHGETOUTOFTHEWAY HE'SRIGHTBEHINDME!" It slammed into Ryoga and both figures went into the wall. A little dazed Ryoga saw it was Ranma who had plowed into her. "Ranma what the hell are you doing?" Somewhat panicked Ranma replied, "It's Kuno, he's after me." "What?" Nabiki looked at him in disgust, "You're running from Kuno." "No choice, he's got some sort of weird armour with swords ..." "WEIRD ARMOUR!", Ryoga, Nabiki and Ukyou chorused. Kasumi was looking down the street, "Isn't that Kuno?" A distinctly unarmoured Kuno was walking up the street, idly twirling his bokken. "What the heck, he's back to normal?" Ranma took up a fighting stance. As Kuno got closer he shouted, "OK Kuno, time to finish this." Kuno looked puzzled, "Saotome why do you disturb my meditation. If you truly wish to challenge the Blue Thunder I ..." Kuno caught sight of the girl leaning against the wall and clutching a bruise on her head. "Ah my bandanned beauty, you have chosen to wait for me here." "What?" As Kuno moved closer the dazed Ryoga remembered that he was currently in female form. "Oh no!" "Ah my red haired angel Urk!" The punch to the head dropped Kuno to the ground. Ryoga winced and said, "I don't need any additional distractions right now." Ranma looked down at Kuno and frowned. "I don't get it, a few minutes ago he was acting like he never even heard of you. What is going on?" Ryoga-chan shrugged, "That is a very good question." ***************************************************************************** Monday Afternoon - Tempus R&D Incorparated - Guyver Ryoga Timeline Director Nagaoka was counting the seconds he had left to live when the call came in. Through an inspired line of scientific jargon and bullshit Maxwell had got Gyro distracted enough to slow down his homicidal rage. It wasn't going to last though. Then the intercom beeped, "Director Nagaoka monitoring section insists on speaking to you." Any distraction was welcome, "Put them through." The voice crackled throught the intercom. "Sir this is Chernix in monitoring. All hell seems to be breaking loose in sector seven. First we had a report that Hibiki had vanished along with one of the targets. Then our observers decided to move in to terminate targets Saotome and the remaining Tendos. Now we have a report that there are two Guyvers in the area. One or both of them are killing Zoanoids, thought they may be fighting each other. Frankly it's sheer pandemonium down there. No one knows what's going on." Commander Gyro relaxed slightly. "You have just gained yourselves a short reprieve. Until I know what's going on I'll avoid doing anything rash." His eyes flared red, "But I want answers and I want them fast." "Yessir, right away sir." Nagaoka grabbed Maxwell and dragged him out of the office. "We'll get down to monitoring and try and sort things out. Then I want to discuss your experiments, doctor." End of part 2 Next: Quite a bit just happened, but does anyone have the whole picture? Part 3 : States of Confusion. Guyver Ryoga / Ryoga 1/2 : Worlds in Collision A fanfic about three alternate Ranma 1/2 Universes by Mark Latus Part 3 : States of Confusion Monday Afternoon (Immediately following the disappearance of Ryoga & Nabiki) - Nerima Restaurant District - Guyver Ryoga timeline Ranma finished checking the spot Ryoga and Nabiki had been. No trace, this was very bad. He'd learned the hard way that the best his martial arts could do was slow down transformed Zoanoids. Without Ryoga and the Guyver unit he'd have been dead by now. Of course at moments like these he remembered that Kronos wouldn't have targeted them if it hadn't been for Ryoga. It's fine in the abstract sense to talk about opposing evil. In the practical sense no one welcomes monsters kicking in the door and trying to kill you. There was a strong possibility they were under observation by Kronos. In which case they had to find cover fast! Before the Zoanoids realized they didn't have to fear the Guyver anymore. He rejoined Akane and her father, she had already grasped the situation. With Soun between them they began trying to merge with the crowd. The disappearance had been silent so there was a chance Kronos's watchers didn't know it had happened. As unobtrusively as possible they headed for a sidestreet. As Ranma saw it the dojo was undoubtably being watched so returning there wasn't an option. Which left the question where could they go? Anyone they asked for a place to stay would wind up on Kronos's hitlist. Ukyou had never known what he'd got mixed up in. She'd wound up targeted because of what he might have told her. Worry later, for now concentrate on getting out of the area alive. There weren't many people on this street. That meant less chance there were Kronos agents among them. On the other hand it meant fewer witnesses to Zoanoids. Kronos preferred to avoid panicing large crowds. That increased the chances of things leaking out. That was when Ranma saw the two large men at the mouth of the street put a barrier across it. There was a sign on it reading "Street closed for filming - Toho Movie Corporation". Ranma had to admit that was original. A passerby stopped in his tracks and walked in front of Ranma. The big man removed his sunglasses, smiled and said "Showtime!" His body began to twist and grow. Without hesitation Ranma punched him in the throat, feeling cartilage break as he crushed the windpipe. The main weakness Zoanoids had was arrogance. Being so sure of themselves they took unnecessary risks. They never quite caught on that the transformation wasn't instantaneous. It left a very brief window of vulnerability, if you were fast enough to use it. Ranma grabbed Soun's free arm, Akane held the other. They ran down the street hauling him with them. Behind them they heard inhuman snarls as the two barrier guards transformed. Directly behind them a Zoanoid of reptilian appearance fell to its knees while clutching at its neck. Trying in vain to draw some air into its lungs. A couple of passing filmstudents critiqued the death scene as they discussed the rubber monster suit genre. Admittedly the costumes were good. A little distance away, at the former sight of the late Ukyou Kuonji's restaurant, two people appeared. Or the world changed around them, it's all relative. Nabiki stopped in her attempt to run hearing Ryoga thunder towards her. She spun back to watch him deal with the Kasumi replicant. It was gone! Ryoga screeched to a halt, calling her name. Her knight in really ugly armour. Shaking she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his torso. He sheathed the sonicswords away as he gently folded his arms around her. Not being a complete fool he kept the helmet sensors swiveling around as he scanned for Zoanoids. What he saw amazed him. First the Kasumi lookalike vanished, now he saw the recreation of Ukyou's restaurant was gone. Once again it was a halfbuilt coffeeshop. What the hell was going on? "BASTARDS!" That came from Nabiki. Ryoga looked at the girl in his arms, really looked at her. She wasn't shaking from fear, she was shaking from rage. The fury was unmistakable. In an anger choked voice she snarled, "First those scum kill my sister, then they build a duplicate as some sort of sick trap." She looked up at him. "They've got to pay for this, for everything they've done! To hell with this sitting around crap we've got to take the fight to them!" Ryoga was a little startled by this mood swing. Not that he didn't feel the same way but hearing Nabiki talk like this ... It must all have been festering inside her for a long time. Her injury, Kasumi's death, everyone else who died senselessly ... On the surface she'd been scared but deep inside her rage had been building. Enough analysis, there was something she needed to know. "They'll pay, I swear it! But first I want you to look behind me." She tore her gaze away from him and saw the building had changed form, "What the hell?!" "I don't know, it's gone just like that ... duplicate out here. No heat signatures so its empty now. But it was full of civilians and replicants of you, me and Ukyou." Before she could ask him to explain they heard the unearthly howling. Both recognised it. "Zoanoids!" If they were out in public they must be hunting which meant ... "Akane, Daddy, Ranma!" "Shit!" Ryoga turned to go, Nabiki grabbed an arm. "Leave me here and I doubt I'll be here when you get back." Without a second's pause he scooped her up in his arms, reduced their combined weight with the gravity control and, powered by the suit's strength, leapt in the direction of the noise. A short distance away Kuno scanned the street in confusion. Saotome had been right in front of him, then he'd felt that strange disorientation again and his Ranma had vanished. He couldn't have gone far. That was Kuno heard the bellowing. It sound very like the demon Saotome had sent to defeat him. The creature had proven no match for his strength and purity. Particularly with them backed up by his Guyver armour. In any event if the demons were around their master must be near. He ran towards the sound at top speed, scattering pedestrians in his wake. "They're filming all over the place today", someone commented. "It disrupts business, isn't there some sort of civic ordanance?" Meanwhile Ranma, Akane and Soun stood back to back in a rough circle as they watched the Zoanoids encircling them. There didn't seem to be any way out of this ring. The few normal people around had run like hell. Which meant no witnesses, which meant they were all dead. The only thing Ranma couldn't figure was why the Zoanoids hadn't attacked already. Something that looked a humanoid spider with horns hissed, "Your buddy killed a lot of friends of mine. I'm going to enjoy taking you apart." "Screw that!" It was one of the Ramothis style Zoanoids. "Let's just kill them and get of here before the Guyver shows up again." "I'm with Charbis, we owe these kids a lot of pain." "Maybe, but we still don't know what happened to the Guyver. Orders say kill them so let's do that." While the Zoanoids argued if they should die fast or slow Ranma built his chi energy. There was one chance he could see, charge one of the surrounding Zoanoids, hit it with Mouko Takabishya at close range and blast it out of the way, then run through the gap. Not much of a plan admittedly, but better than just waiting to die. From a vantage point Garvel watched his fellow Zoanoids. He hadn't transformed, his instructions were to watch Kuno and stay human. After Kuno disappeared he'd begun searching for some trace, thinking that perhaps his subject had become invisible. That had lead him to this confrontation. For lack of anything better to do he looked forward to watching some bloodshed. Even further away the Ryogoid named 207 watched the scene. His sensors had been designed to outperform human limitations. Now he held his battle systems in readiness as he tried to decide if he should intervene. Normally Ryogoids don't have much in the way of humanitarian impulses, but this was a special case. He was programmed with the Emperor's emotional makeup, including his unrequitted love for Akane Tendo. The woman about to die at the hands, or whatever, of the Zoanoids. He had the power to save her but should he? Mission parameters required keeping a low profile. Of course dead Zoanoids wouldn't be able to say it wasn't the Guyver that ripped them apart. Still ... Regretfully he safed his offensive systems. The Emperor had been forced to sacrifice his Akane, he would have to stand by and let this one die. Cruel necessity. A Gregore class Zoanoid stepped forward, "Hell with this, I'll finish this." He lowered his horned head and prepared to charge. The top of his skull exploded spraying a mixture of brain and bone. He was dead before he hit the ground. Everyone looked up to see the Guyver, cradling a girl in his arms, falling towards them. "Oh shit!", the spider-thing whispered. The Guyver landed next to his friends, his armoured legs easily absorbing the impact. He quickly put Nabiki down, stepped in front of her and unsheathed his sonic swords. Then he got to work. Watching the carnage unfold Garvel was very glad he hadn't joined his comrades. He unclipped his communicator and reported in. He wasn't alone, several of the Zoanoids were screaming into their comm. links begging for backup. Leaving Garvel's report buried under the hysteria. At Tempus the monitoring section was trying (and failing) to put together a coherent picture of what was happening. That was when it happened. One of the Ramothis class Zoanoids, wounded but still alive made a decision. He knew he was dying, holding the belly wound closed with both hands wasn't slowing the bleeding enough. He couldn't scratch the Guyver but he could still hurt him by killing his friends. The Guyver was on the other side of the square, this was the only chance he'd get. Holding his intestines in with one paw he raised the other to strike and charged the humans. The younger girl was nearest to him, she'd die first. Akane saw the Zoanoid barreling towards her and screamed. Ryoga turned towards the sound, in time to see the claws slashing down. "AKANE!" Ranma was throwing himself in the way but wouldn't reach her in time! Something took the Zoanoid's arm off along with a good chunk of its shoulder. The severed arm spun away, no threat to anything. Its scream of pain ended abruptly when the same something cut its head off. Ryoga couldn't believe what he was seeing. The color was different and there were a few design differences but the basic form was unmistakably a Guyver. It had just killed a Zoanoid so it had to be on their side. Didn't it? He dispatched the last Zoanoid and headed back fast. 207 watched with interest. It must have been a low power quantum charge as the dimensional shift had only lasted a few minutes. No wonder the signal had been too brief to trace. The most interesting thing was the appearance of another Guyver. Two resonances, two Guyvers. That seemed fairly conclusive. But why had they been shifted in the first place? As Ryoga joined the group the other Guyver was telling Akane, "At last it must be clear to you that destiny would have us together. How else could I arrive here to save you from the hordes of the dispicable Saotome. But fear not for his day of reckoning has truly arrived." The combination of eloquence and arrogance was unmistakable. Still Ryoga found it hard to believe, "Kuno? You're a Guyver?" "What! How could you discern my identity so easily?" "Who else talks like that? Besides these suits don't distort voices that much." "You address me with unseemingly familiarity stranger. Though there is a certain recognisable quality to your voice." "I'm Ryoga Hibiki, you moron." "Hold your tongue. It is unseemingly for such as you to address your betters ... where did you get that armour? I cannot imagine Kronos allowing someone of your ilk to join?" "I found it ... what did you say about Kronos?" "Enough of this." Kuno took a dramatic stance. "I have vanquished his demons, let the foul wizard Saotome stand forth." Akane (along with everyone else) was having a hard time following Kuno's logic. "What do you think Ranma's done this time?" "Ahh my one true love, is it possible you do not know that Saotome is the fiend who unleased these horrors" Kuno waved a hand to indicate the rapidly disintergrating Zoanoids. "They return to the pit that spawned them and I shall surely send Ranma to join them." "Now just a second Kuno", Ranma said as he stepped forward from behind Soun. Not the smartest thing to do when a man in Guyver armour is talking about killing you. However Ranma's uncanny luck held, sort of. "Ah, my pigtailed angel ..." "What?" Ranma suddenly realized the air was filled with a light spray of water droplets. In slicing up one of the Zoanoids Ryoga had nicked a fire hydrant. Enclosed by the armour the water couldn't reach him so his curse remained inactive. Ranma had no such protection. Kuno continued, oblivious to the girl before him looking down at her chest and groaning. "Fear not for this day I shall rescue you from the monster who holds you captive. All his dark powers shall be helpless before the righteous fury of the Blue Thunder ... Actually let's change that to the Black Thunder. For with this magical armour none of his demons shall prevail against me." Ranma was getting fed up with Kuno talking about killing him. In addition to which he now realized he couldn't shut Kuno up with a quick punch anymore. That suit made him practically invincible. "They aren't demons they're Zoanoids! I ... Ranma didn't turn 'em loose. They were created by an organization called Kronos! They used to be human but decided they wanted power at all costs, even their humanity!" Kuno held up a hand. "My love, you are confused. Doubtless the fault of the acursed Saotome. I am part of Kronos and the organization is composed of others of similar nobility. We are working towards our goal of ... " Kuno realized he'd never asked what Kronos's ultimate goal was, a definite oversight. "Well whatever it is be assured it is a pure and noble thing." Nabiki realized no one was sure how to respond to this. Daddy was out of it, Ranma and Akane were stunned by Kuno's ignorance, while from Ryoga's stance he wasn't sure whether or not he should be fighting Kuno. "How can you work for Kronos and not know what a Zoanoid is?", Ryoga was asking. Before he could respond Nabiki cut in. "Kuno didn't you say you were planning to fight Ranma?" "Indeed, the coward fled before me but I shall find him." Before Ranma could explode she said, "Well since he's not here shouldn't you be looking for him. Otherwise you'll never get those two free of him." "Indeed, you are correct Nabiki Tendo. But where has the miscreant gone?" "Well since you're here it's a good bet he's sneaking into your place to set a trap." "The fiend!" Kuno struck another dramatic pose. "His nefarious plan shall not succeed! I shall return to our mansion and put an end to his evil." To Akane and Ranma he added, "Do not fear my loves, before this day ends you shall be free and may show me your gratitude. Farewell!" Kuno charged away, running at the Guyver's top speed. Which didn't do the pavement much good. Garvel made an unobtrusive exit from his vantage point. His brief was to observe Kuno. While he couldn't match Kuno's speed at least he knew the black Guyver's destination. He hailed a taxi and gave his directions. As he settled into the cab's seat he adjusted his communicator for subvocalization and held it to his throat. It would be best not to delay reporting to the Director. At Tempus's monitoring section Dr. Maxwell watched Director Nagaoka talk to his observer. They still had no clear picture of what had happened. However it seemed indisputable that the Guyver was back. Two observers had confirmed Hibiki's disappearance before moving on the other targets. So what went wrong with the one way displacement? He did have one theory, if it was right it should save his neck. In the meantime he eavesdropped on the Director's end of the report. "Uh huh, so we lost all twelve? And Kuno killed one of them, wonderful. What's that? Demons? Hmmm. Hold it repeat that last part. Ok his exact words ... that's interesting. Describe the girls ... uh huh, those two eh." The Director looked a lot more cheerful. "Fine, keep an eye on Kuno until further orders. If he slices up this Saotome that's one less for us to worry about. Nagaoka out." Excellent. He had the key to controlling Kuno. It would just be a matter of getting Commander Gyro to amend the termination order. He saw Maxwell was trying to attract his attention. "Another stroke of brilliance, Doctor?" "Possibly. Did Hibiki and Kuno reappear in the same places they vanished from?" Nagaoka considered, "We didn't have any observers on the spot but from the times of their arrival at that little debacle I would guess they'd have had to be pretty close. Why?" Maxwell knew he had to sell this, not only was it right but it would keep him alive. "I realize now the basic flaw in my theory. But it gives us a way to temporarily neutralize Hibiki without damaging our own Guyver." "Which is?" "Time travel!" "What!" Nagaoka was confused, what the hell was Maxwell talking about? "It's simple really. I used the creators' displacement system to teleport the Guyvers. Since I hadn't sent a spacial reentry point I thought they'd be gone forever. Instead they were merely displaced in time, they reappeared in the exact same spot a few minutes later." "Wait a minute, run through that again." "Teleportation displaces a object in space and time. That would make sense since it's a offshoot of the aliens faster than light spacedrive technology. So if you teleport something without a change in position it is merely displaced in time rather than space. Evidently our teleport signal was only sufficent to achieve a displacement of a few minutes. Both subjects went forward in time a short distance. Now with a stronger pulse we could displace the enemy Guyver forward in time a few hours ..." Nagaoka broke in, "During which time his friends would be defenceless and we could surround the place he disappeared from with our most powerful Zoanoids. Then when he reappears ..." "We finish him. Apart from a little confusion over what time it is Kuno will be undamaged." Nagaoka smiled. "Doctor I think you've just redeemed yourself. Get back to your lab and figure out how to cause a displacement of several hours." His voice got a lot colder, "But if you initiate anything without my approval you are a dead man. Do I make myself clear?" "Uh yessir. Uhm ... I'll be getting back to my lab then." He left hurriedly. Nagaoka barely noticed. Yes if Maxwell was right it would fit in nicely with his plan to control Kuno. He just had to get Gyro's approval before he moved. During this time a few other things had been happening. As they watched Kuno charge away Akane had commented, "I didn't really follow your logic, Nabiki." Nabiki snorted, "What logic? That's where you guys were going wrong. Trying to reason with Kuno is like trying to get a landslide to ignore gravity. She looked around the street spotting some soaked rags. "Say when those guys transformed and attacked were they wearing those stupid purple jumpsuits?" "No, just regular clothes. Why?" Ranma didn't follow this. Anyway it would be best to get away from here. Ryoga couldn't deactivate the Guyver until they were someplace dry. Nabiki was casting around the alley when she spotted what she was looking for. "Because if they were in civilian dress, trying to watch us rather than plan an attack maybe ... ah ha!" She'd found a piece of trouser containing a pocket. She removed the wallet from the clothing shredded by its wearers transformation. "I don't believe it", Ranma whispered, "She's back to normal". "Two things Ranma!", Nabiki had overheard him. She removed the yen from the wallet. "First we don't have a regular source of income but we still have expenses." She began flipping through the wallet, "Second ever since Happosai blew up Kronos Tokyo (may he rest in peace) we've had no idea where the Zoanoids are based. We need some sort of clue ... and I think I just found it." She discarded the wallet, hanging on to the card she'd found. One side was blue, blank except for a stylized letter T. The other had a large magnetic strip running down in. "Electronic key maybe ... well what are you waiting for? Get searching." They did, quickly locating another three wallets. At which point Nabiki told them it was time to get clear before people started filtering back. As they left the wet area Ryoga deactivated the Guyver. It folded back into its extradimensional pocket. He really hoped Akane wouldn't ask why he hadn't done it sooner. Nabiki had found out but Akane still didn't know where P-chan had gone. "So we came out to grocery shop didn't we? Then let's get going. By the way Ranma until we've got this Kuno situation sorted out you'd better stay female." "When did she become the leader?", Ranma thought. It was a welcome change from her cringing at everything but what had caused this? "What happened to you two anyway?" Ryoga answered, "I'm not sure and I don't want to be overheard. We'll discuss it when we get back to the dojo." Meanwhile in another dimension ... ***************************************************************************** Late Monday Afternoon - Outside Ukyou's Restaurant - Ryoga 1/2 timeline Ryoga finished nailing his board over the hole in the wall. "Ok, I'm done." Ranma put down his hammer, "Me too. Well, it's far from decorative but it should keep the rain out." "It's gonna rain?" "Yep, forecast said light showers tonight." Both boys took an interest in the weather that sometimes startled their peers. A sideffect of changing sex every time you get wet. Ukyou inspected the job. "OK that'll do temporarily, but I can't keep the restaurant open with a big hole in the women's toilet." Ryoga made a suggestion, "Nabiki can probably give you the name of a good contractor. We're always having to hire them at the Dojo." "By good you mean the one that pays the biggest kickback for the job?" "That's pure speculation." Acccurate though, he thought. Ukyou was studying him closely, "So why was your look-a-like trying to kill us." "I was wondering that myself", Nabiki added. She had just emerged from the restaurant with a notepad full of repair estimates. Ryoga had been thinking a lot about this. He still had no answer. "I don't know. When I went to that other dimension (which no one believed me about until half an hour ago) I didn't immediately try to kill my counterpart. I mean I figured he was an imposter but I didn't try to kill him on sight. Whereas this guy sees us, yells 'Grover' or whatever, and tries to kill all three of us." Nabiki interjected, "Thinking you're an imposter doesn't explain his trying to kill me and Ukyou." "Well there was a Nabiki with him so he must have thought you were another imposter. Ukyou ... I don't know why he tried to kill her." Ukyou cast her mind back, "He said something to us just before that armour appeared. What was it? And I think the word was 'Geever'" "Sounded like 'Guyber' to me" "Who knows? Anyway the point is none of the Ryogas I met could make invincible armour appear. Or were that homicidal." Ukyou flipped the "Closed" sign over and locked the restaurant's door. "Well I'm closed for repairs, so now what?" She began eyeing Ranma. "So Akane's avoiding you again?" "Uh yeah ..." Divert the topic. "So how about we head home and try and figure this out." Nabiki shrugged, "We might as well, it is getting towards dinner time." Ukyou looked enthusiastic, "Dinner with Ran-chan, great." Akane's gonna love this, Ranma thought. Ryoga and Nabiki returned to their private speculations. Why would another Ryoga want to kill them, and why was the other Nabiki terrified of Kasumi? That last part really didn't make sense. They started the walk back to the Dojo. ***************************************************************************** Late Monday Afternoon - En route to the Tendo Dojo - Guyver Ryoga timeline Unit 207 continued shadowing the teenagers as they returned home. Given his ultra sensitive senses he was in no danger of coming close enough for them to realize he was following. He had dispatched 179 to track Kuno, whatever generated the dimensional shifts was homing in on the Guyver units. That much was obvious. He knew what was happening, which judging from the conversation he listened in on they didn't, but not why. Why would Kronos, assuming it was Kronos, want to send their enemies to another dimension? Could it be they didn't know it wouldn't be permanent. Did they really think it was a one way trip? For that matter why had his own mission been so hurried. Why send the only five androids immediately available back to this point. The Empire had time travel, why the hurry. They could have taken a