Born for Trouble Chapter 6:

"Ranma?" Cologne asked while waving her hand inches from his face.
Growing tired of the boy's lack of response, Cologne reared back and
slapped Ranma hard across the face.

Slow at first, but with gaining speed, Ranma's body untensed, his
muscles shifting under the skin almost like fluid.  His dialated
pupils were the last to return to normal, following behind his mouth
that had snapped itself shut.

"Ranma, are you all right?" Cologne hadn't thought it possible for
Ranma to react to 'anything' in the manner that he had just displayed.
Just to make sure that he hadn't had an aneurism, she gently probed
his brain with wispy fingers of gauzy chi.  Nothing was wrong, but the
technique only worked on physical ailments.

"Is he insane?" Ranma whispered quietly."The other girls have probably
figured out fifty new ways to kill Margaret that no one ever even
imagined.  And me?  They just skin me alive.  No big deal, been
expecting it for quite some time."

"Maybe you should lie down, take a nap?" suggested Cologne.  Ranma was
acting weird, weird even by his standards.  He sounded almost
hopeless, maybe closer wallowing in despair.  Oh, that was a nice
thought;  Ranma, a young man with way to much chi than he knew what to
do with, releasing the mother of all shi shi hokadans in an underwater
city.

Ranma shrugged and said,"Don't worry about it Cologne, I'm not going
crazy and I don't really need to take a nap, I slept pretty well last
night.  What I am going to do is go back to Tokyo and clear this whole
mess up."

Cologne was no longer worried for Ranma, she was frightened for the
general populace of Tokyo.  She couldn't let Ranma put his own life in
danger by exposing himself out in the open, and to his fiances and
enemies, but how could she stop him?  He was still inexperienced with
subtle magic and she had a few hundred years of overall combat
training so there was a slim chance that she could take him in a
fight, but once again the fact that they were in an underwater city
flashed through her mind.  Her quarters defiantely weren't reinforced
like the workout rooms, who knew what could happen?

"Maybe I'll get a chance to kick Kenji's ass.  Margaret'll probably be
pissed, but if what Lerris said is true, she'll probably forgive me."

"Ranma, you can't go back right now.  We still don't know who here is
trying to kill you or why, and we know that your prescense in Tokyo
will only exacerbate the problem the next time you leave." Maybe she
could get a sneak attack in while he had his back turned to leave.
The best solution would be to simply reroute him through the ring
system when he tried to leave.  A few days in Hawaii might do him some
good.

"Look Cologne, I know that you're thinking about all the bad stuff
that I'm going to cause, but I have to do something.  And I'm not
scared of the Attendant that wants to kill me.  There are at least two
dozen other people that want to kill me basides him or her, and
they've never managed to get the job done, so why should this one
succeed?" Ranma had come to a decision.  Margaret really was in danger
from his fiances, Mage or not, and Ryoga would probably try to waste
her just for hurting Akane's feelings, and strangely enough, the
thought of losing Margaret made his heart hurt and nausea threatened
to knock him over.  Lerris was really on the money with his
predictions.

"The army can just evacuate Tokyo before I leave again.  That way no
one will go crazy or get hurt when I come to stay here."

"Ranma-"

Ranma cut her off."And maybe we can figure out who's trying to kill me
while I'm in Tokyo.  You know, they may come out in the open or
something obvious."

Hawaii it was.  He would thank her one day.  Now all that she had to
do was convince him that she wouldn't stop him."Let's stop by the
armory then.  At least we can get you a little more protection."

"I already got the crystal bands.  Not that a library of stupid books
is gonna do me much good, but it was my choice." Ranma still hadn't
told Cologne about the ability to teleport.  It was sorta funny.
Teleportation was a lost art according to Margaret, but a pair of
wrist cuffs designed for an old librarian too old to take care of the
Royal Library properly had given him a major advantage over
practically everybody.

"Ranma, that was your choice as a focus.  There are other enchanted
weapons that you could use, but I was thinking more along the lines
some light weight armor for you to wear.  Not enough to slow you down,
but maybe some protection for your vital areas."

"I don't know, armor isn't really my style." It would be good to have
encase someone somehow managed to get a gun in Japan.  He was
confident that he could dodge a bullets or shield himself from them,
but if he was fighting and an unseen gunman shot him in the back while
his concentration was focused elsewhere..."On second thought, maybe I
should get a little something."

Cologne smiled and nodded.  Just keep him comfortable.  She would get
one of the pyschics remaining in Atlantis to take a break from
investigating Ranma's attempted murder and have him send the account
number of one of her bank accounts.  Ranma did deserve a vacation.
Hmm, maybe, just maybe, Cynthia could be convinced to send Margaret
too.

It took them a quarter of an hour to get to the armory.  Colgone led
Ranma in through a door that he had walked past at least a dozen times
wihtout ever seeing.

Cologne saw his puzzled look and said,"It's a kind of pyschic block we
keep up to stop small children from wandering in and hurting
themselves."

Ranma filed that little tidbit of information away for later.
Psychics could hide in a manner that he couldn't detect.  The armory
suprised Ranma.  It was not the one he had first visited."How many
armories are there?"

"A few dozen," Cologne answered."The one you and Margaret first
visited is used to store non-bonded focus objects and unknown magical
artifacts.  This one holds mainly armor and some high powered kinetic
force-based weapons similar to those used by your newest enemy, but of
a magical nature."

The walls were lined with every type of armor Ranma had ever seen and
many he hadn't.  There were suits of full plate armor like that worn
by ancient knights, as well as full samurai gear.  Ranma was looking
for something a little more understated, so his eye barely stopped
over them.  The farther into the corridor-like room that Cologne led
him the closer they got to what Ranma was looking for.  Now there were
wooden dummies with partial armor plate/mail combinations.  He didn't
want shoulder pads or hip guards, ruling out the latest batch.  By the
time they reached the far end of the room the armor no longer hung on
dummies.  They were simply laid out on small racks.

"Ranma, we can go to another of the armories, but the selection will
be similar to this one," Cologne said exasperatedly.  By the time
Ranma actually made his mind up Tokyo would be back to normal.

Ranma finally spotted something he could work with.  It was simply
designed, but very impressive looking black metal inlaid with gold.
There were a pair of arm bracers, grieves to protect his shins, and an
intricately linked set of small metal plates that formed a shirt that
looked like the scales of a reptile, a really big black and gold
reptile.  There was also a crown thing, but he just left that on the
rack.

"Very nice.  I'm glad that you found something you liked." Took him
long enough.

"It is what I was looking for, but doesn't it seem a little thin to
you?" Ranma asked while he strapped the grieves on over his clothes.
He was pleased to see that the inside of the armor was padded leather.

"This isn't normal, everyday combat armor Ranma.  Everything in this
room is enchanted to withstand practically any form of mundane
assault.  They are more vulnerable to magic, but there is nothing
immune to magic."

Ranma's cuffs fit easily under the bracers and the scale shirt of
armor  fit as comfortably as his normal silk shirts did."Okay, that
should do it.  I don't look goofy or stupid do I?" Ranma asked,
turning in a little circle so that Cologne could get a better view of
him.

Cologne smirked and picked up the circlet.  She fit it on his head and
said,"There, you look very dashing."

Ranma had no idea what 'dashing' meant, but he did know that he wasn't
going to where the crown.

Before Ranma could take it off, Cologne said."If you want the armor to
be anything more than simple metal, you have to wear it too, to
complete the enchantment." Cologne looked at a small plate anchored to
the rack that Ranma had taken the armor from."Are you going to want
any weapons?"

Ranma shook his head."Nah, if it's anything like that sword Kuno had I
could accidentally kill someone."

Sound reasoning."I'll accompany you to a ring room."
****

"Waaaaahhhhh, my daughter hates me!!!  Waaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!" wailed Soun
as Genma led him out of the tent.

"Calm down Tendo, we'll get this all straightened out.  We've just got
to get hold of my sorry excuse for a son and this whore he's shacked
up with and lay down the law.  As soon as I start questioning Ranma's
honor and calling him a girl he'll give in."

"Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!  You're so much smarter than me, waaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Genma began the mental exercises necassary to tune out his friends
wailing, but a loud clearing of the throat, the kind used to get
someone's attention, drew Genma's attention just like it was meant to.

"Why hello there, my name's Kenji and I couldn't help but hear you
talking about my daughter."

Seeing as how the man had been polite and hadn't demanded vengeance
for stealling from him like so many strangers did, Genma responded in
kind,"No sir, I'm afraid that you're mistaken."

"Oh no, I'm afraid that I'm not mistaken.  You see, my daughter just
happens to be married to your 'sorry excuse for a son', so that would
make her 'the whore', right?" Small arcs of electricity were running
up and down Kenji's arms by now, and his eyes were shining just a
little more than could be explained by the light of the setting sun
striking them.

Genam gulped.  This was one of those times where defending one's honor
came second with survival winning first.  He let the still wailing
Soun fall unsupported to the ground and was halfway turned around
before the first whip of electricity fell across his
back."Oooooooooowwwwwwww!" he screamed.
****

From his rooftop perch, Ryoga shuddered in sympathy for whatever
animal was being tortured.  He would have helped it if he could, but
the chances of getting off the roof and across the city were slim.
He'd likely end up in Tibet again like yesterday.  Thankfully it had
only taken an hour to find his way back.
****

Ms. Mizuno had taken up working in one of the hospital tents as a way
to pass the time.  Juuban General had been overrun by people from the
neighboring Paramormal Containment wing.  She had just finished
bandaging a small boys arm after stitching up the gash he had recieved
when he had tripped into a pile of broken glass."There you go.  Your
mother is waiting outside so run along." She gave the brave little boy
a lollipop before he left.

She had not taken another breathe before a trio of soldiers carried in
what appeared to be a twitching mass of undercooked meat.  The
tattered and burnt clothes hinted that it may have been human, but all
the smoke was to obscuring to make any guesses concrete.

"Get a fan in here.  I need to be able to see what I'm doing." She
also didn't particularly care for the scent of roasted human.
****

Cologne said,"Since you haven't got much experience with the rings,
I'll take care of designating your arrival destination.  Where exactly
do you want to appear?"

"Just drop me off at Furinkan," Ranma said.  He was going over what he
was going to say to everyone when he showed up after disappearing and
getting a wife.

Cologne didn't have to worry about Ranma seeing her key him in to
Hawaii since there was no read out display on the rings.  She added a
day to his travel time so that she could check with Cynthia about
sending Margaret.  It could be like a little honeymoon.

When Cologne was finished, Ranma stepped through the ring after
saying,"Thanks a lot Cologne."

That made her feel a little guilty, but she reminded herself that it
was for Ranma's own good.
****

Satisfied that his relationship with his fellow father-in-law had been
firmly established, Kenji went to wash the smell of burnt hair and
skin off.  Kami knew that Cynthia had blasted him through the roof the
last time he had come home with that particular fragrance floating
about him.

This time he thought that she might have understood, seeing as how he
had been defending his daughter's honor, but it wasn't worth the risk.
****

Author's Notes:  I know that this is a really short chapter, but it
felt like a good place to stop and I wanted Ranma's return to Tokyo to
be the beginning of the next chapter.  Now, a piece of friendly advice
for everyone.  Go to Napster and download Iron Man by Ozzy Osbourne.
It doesn't matter if you don't like rock, just do it.  Then turn the
song up really loud and play it over and over again.  Once you hear it
a few times you can hear the story to it.  Once you hear the story,
just keep listening to it.  When the song works its way into your
brain you can stop listening to it, but by then you probably won't
want to stop.  Okay, run along now and download the song.

Oh yeah, another thing.  I released a lot of other fics that I never
finished or hadn't worked on in a while, but there were 'too' many
counting the ones I'm working on now, to continue them all, so could
you, my loyal readers, tell me your favorite of them.  Whichever gets
the most responses will be the one I try to ass to my current
worklist.   They are New Beginnings, A Better Life, Mind Over Matter,
or the trio of WoT ideas(in the case of the WoT ideas, tell me which
one, 1, 2, or 3)

dark_phoneix@hotmail.com