Fan Fiction ❯ The Dwayne Wayne Chronicles ❯ The Dwayne Wayne Chronicles-Ch. 15 ( Chapter 15 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Showstopper 
Third stop in the world tour, Tokyo, Japan. The group meets with a former girlfriend of PD and this former girlfriend wants some of Dwayne.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.01.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 120 | Status: Completed
Third stop in the world tour, Tokyo, Japan. The group meets with a former girlfriend of PD and this former girlfriend wants some of Dwayne.
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.01.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 120 | Status: Completed
The Dwayne Wayne Chronicles-Ch.15
The young woman closed her eyes. She felt the power flow through her body as she held the wooden bokken (Japanese wooden sword). The woman opened her golden eyes and made two precise slashes at the practice dummy. With no emotion on her face, she watched as the dummy fell to the floor cut in half.
A knock came on the door and a short older woman entered the room, saying, "Megumi, PD and DP are coming to Tokyo with their friends. You know why they're coming here, correct?"
"Yes, we have to retrieve a fragment of the Kao Belt. They told me all about it a couple of weeks ago. I'll be at the airport to pick them up, Mai." Mai bowed and left the room.
Megumi toweled herself off and thought about her life. She'd been working for PD and DP for 6 years, ever since she was 19. It was a great honor to be the main woman in charge of their Japanese business interests. Her main source of enjoyment was her work as the White Tsunami. Megumi loved to frighten and humiliate criminals much older than her 25 years of age. Megumi knew that her speed with her blade was unmatched, so no criminal that went up against her had a snowball's chance in hell of defeating her. Megumi slipped out of her golden gi and went to take a shower and put on some clothes. One thing that she definitely wanted to do was to look good for her compatriots PD and DP, along with their protégés. But she especially wanted to look good for PD, or Alec. They still had some feelings left to resolve.
PD and DP say in the cockpit of Shadowhawk. PD was at the controls of the plane and DP was in the navigator's seat beside him.
DP said, "Hey, man. We're going to Tokyo."
PD said casually, "So?"
"You know."
"I don't know anything."
"Stop it, we both know that we're going to meet up with Megumi when we get there."
"What's your point?"
With some anger, DP answered, "My point is that you two broke up under sad circumstances a couple of years ago."
"That has nothing to do with our mission."
"It could compromise our mission if yo two get angry at each other."
PD scoffed, "Megumi is okay with me now and everything's a-okay. Hell, she's still working for us."
"That doesn't mean anything, only a complete fool would voluntarily leave our employ."
"If anyone had a reason to leave, she did."
"That may be, but I just don't want shit to happen."
"Don't worry we're both professionals. Everything will be fine."
"It's not her I'm worried about. I can tell that you still have feelings for her."
PD sighed, "I don't care about her like that anymore."
"You can't fool me, you still want her."
Annoyed, PD replied, "If she's such a catch, why don't you dump Leslie and get with Megumi?"
DP said in a low voice, "You better not say that again."
"I apologize, but I'd appreciate it if you don't talk about the relationship between Megumi and I again."
"Fine." PD grabbed the speakerphone, "Okay, people. We're almost in the land of the rising sun." DP sighed softly as they started to touch down at the Tokyo airport.
The group filed out of the airplane and waited for the appearance of Megumi Arigami. Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela were all eagerly anticipating visiting some of Tokyo's sights. After 30 minutes, Megumi made her appearance driving a sleek minivan. Megumi stepped out of the car and smiled. She said hi to PD and DP and then walked over to Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela. She bowed to Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela in turn. Dwayne liked what he saw of Megumi. Megumi was short and curvaceous with red hair, golden eyes and Eurasian features. To his eyes, she looked flawless in a sharp black business suit that showed just the right amount of feminity.
In a musical voice, Megumi said, "Welcome to Tokyo, Wayne-san, Rogers-san, and Grabek-san."
Dwayne bowed and replied, "Thank you, Arigami-san."
"You're welcome, Wayne-san. From now on, call me Megumi. I'm not that stuck on Japanese protocol, even though I've spent my life here in Japan." Tammy and Angela both said their thank you to Megumi after Dwayne.
Dwayne smiled and asked, "Okay, Megumi. I assume you run PD and DP business dealings here in Japan."
"Of course, do you want to work for me?"
Tammy stated, "You'll have to include me in that equation, Megumi."
"Yes, my friends PD and DP told me of your engagement to Dwayne. The offer stands for you as well."
DP jumped into the conversation, "Megumi has needed help so we're officially offering you two the chance to come here to work when you graduate."
Dwayne and Tammy cried out happily, "We accept!"
Megumi grinned, "Splendid, the legal stuff will be taken care of later. But right now, we need to get out of here and go to my house."
Angela spoke up, "Can we visit some sights before we go to your home?"
"Yes, I suppose we can do that." The group piled into the van and left the airport.
As they drove through the congested streets of Tokyo, PD thought about how his two protégés were immediately taken in by Megumi. He knew that Megumi would be a good influence for Dwayne and Tammy. It seemed like the decision about their working relationship after graduation was made so fast. DP just asked them and they accepted quickly. He shouldn't be so upset about this. Megumi needed the help more than anyone else in their business and not just with the business side of things. Tokyo itself didn't have that much of a crime problem. However, other places in Japan definitely had problems like the yakuza (Japanese mob) and other supernatural things. PD just hoped that they would be ready.
Tammy's thoughts were on Megumi. The short conversation she and Dwayne had with her was cool. Megumi seemed to be a kindred spirit. She could tell that Megumi knew what she wanted out of her life. It would definitely be an interesting experience to work with her. Besides that, she would get to live in Japan. Japan always had been one of her dream countries to live in. The crime rate in Japan was relatively stable and the culture was amazing. Tammy grinned to herself in triumph.
Dwayne smiled as he looked out the window at all of the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. He saw all of the huge buildings and the people milling around in the streets. Teenagers were wearing cool stuff and had their hair dyed in all sorts of funky colors. The city was so clean it made his eyes hurt. It amazed him to see that a city this big was so clean. New Wales doesn't even come close to having as many people as Tokyo does and the city is a mess. Dwayne read about how Tokyo is like a modern utopia with trains running on time, vending machines with everything a person could need, cool restaurants and even cooler clubs and clothes. Just as important to Dwayne was all of the anime and video games available here. He couldn't wait to explore this teeming city in detail when he and Tammy moved here.
Angela was also enraptured with Tokyo. In all of her travels around the world, she had never managed to come to Tokyo. The closest she'd been to Japan was in Hong Kong a while back. But her thoughts turned to Snakeeyes and his comment to her. Angela wasn't sure what was supposed to happen between her and Snakeeyes. It was a pretty good bet that whatever it was wouldn't be easy. Angela sighed softly to herself.
DP's thoughts were concentrated on Megumi. The comment PD made to him about getting with Megumi hurt. It really hurt because it was true. If he weren't with Leslie, Megumi would definitely be in his sights. PD was a damn fool for dumping her because of her family's objections. Nothing short of God would have stopped him from getting with Megumi. PD and Megumi was a great match. Both were unconventional, witty, and fun loving. No use crying over old news.
As Megumi navigated through the rush-hour traffic, she was really looking forward to some noodles for lunch. Thoughts of her pallet moved toward Dwayne and Tammy. PD and DP told her about them. She could see that both would be very competent in work, both business and with crime fighting. Megumi felt a special affinity to Dwayne. He just had charisma oozing from his pores. It reminded her a lot of how PD was early in their relationship. PD was still charismatic, but too much had gone down between them now to rekindle the fire. There would still be a reckoning between them.
Megumi and company stopped off at a great noodle shack for lunch. After that, they visited Joypolis a multi-story video game arcade that housed Sega's interactive entertainment technology. The group had to forcibly pull themselves away from Joypolis to walk along the Rainbow Bridge. As they walked along the single-span suspension bridge, they were treated a magnificent view of Tokyo bay and Mt. Fuji. The last spot on their little tour was to visit Tokyo Tower. Dwayne remarked that the tower looked pretty good for something that constantly got destroyed in anime. Tammy slapped him in the back of the head and yelled, "BAKA!" (Japanese term for idiot). Everyone laughed and they sped away to Megumi's house.
The group piled out of the van and looked at Megumi's fairly large abode. The outside of the house was simple with a walkway and a couple of trees. The house itself was colored in white and red paint. They stepped into the house. Tammy, Dwayne, and Angela immediately felt at home. A fireplace was burning in the living room and small bonsai trees were sitting on the magazine table. A couch and a big TV were set up in the room as well. Dwayne thought that staying here for Christmas would've been a lot better than spending it in an airplane. A short, wizened woman appeared in front of the mass of people.
Megumi smiled, "Hello, Mai. Our guests are here. Could you take their luggage to the guest rooms?" Mai smiled and grabbed all of the suitcases to put them in the guest rooms. Angela stood in shock at this feat because they didn't pack lightly.
Tammy said, "Damn, I would break my back trying to carry all of those bags and I'm probably one-third of her age."
Megumi grinned, "Yes, Mai is a very formidable lady. She's been working for me since I bought this place 4 years ago. Anyway, I'd like for your guys to get settled in your rooms. Later on, I'd like to spar with Dwayne, Angela, and Tammy."
Dwayne smiled and replied, "Sounds good to me." Tammy snuggled up to Dwayne as Mai returned to lead them away to their rooms. PD started to follow when Megumi whispered in his ear, "We need to talk. Follow me." PD sighed and followed her into a private room.
Megumi closed the door and looked at PD.
PD asked, "What?"
Megumi walked up to PD and slapped him in the face. The force of the slap sent PD sprawling to the floor. Megumi kicked him in the ribcage as he lay on the floor.
PD got up and quietly asked, "Does that make you feel better?"
Megumi snarled, "Not by a long shot."
"Why do you still work for me if you hate me so much?"
"Because only a fool would turn down a job like this."
PD sighed, "You knew what was going to happen if we got married."
"I didn't care that my family was going to disown me."
"I couldn't let you do that. We both know that you would have ended up on the streets if your family kicked you out."
Megumi scoffed, "I'm a skilled warrior. Living on the streets wouldn't be that difficult."
"You say that now, but back then you weren't as able."
"Okay, my problem with you is that you didn't believe enough in our love to withstand any opposition."
PD bristled, "Love's a two way street, Megumi. You couldn't convince me to stay in the relationship. Blame can be put on you too."
"SHUT UP!"
"You can't shut me up. I'm not going to stand here and get insulted like this."
Megumi hissed, "You're in my home. I'll speak to you anyway I want to."
"Yes, but without this job you wouldn't be living in the lap of luxury. I don't care if we were stranded on a desert island somewhere. I won't be belittled by you."
PD looked at Megumi intently as he said, "Megumi, we had a fulfilling relationship that turned sour. Let it go." Megumi snarled, "I don't know why I still care for you. But know this, I will move on with my life as you say." Megumi strode out of the room in anger. PD sighed and walked out of the room.
Dwayne and Tammy lay on the futon watching an anime TV show. They felt at peace in this room. The two had a wonderful view of the tastefully arranged flower garden in the backyard. Away from the garden was a small pool adorned with water-splashed rocks and gigantic carp. The pool gurgled in a soothing sound. The room itself was simply furnished with the king-sized futon (Japanese bedding), fragile tatami (grass) mats that covered the floor, a cherry table on short legs, the small TV, a clock, and a medium sized closet for their stuff. Two gi's (martial arts uniforms) were set aside for the loving couple.
Dwayne smiled, "I love this place."
Tammy answered, "Same here. I wish we could stay here for a long time."
Dwayne sighed, "We probably won't stay here when we move here after graduation."
"True, but maybe we can find something similar."
Dwayne asked, "So what do you think of Megumi?"
"She seems to be a nice person, very assured about where she wants to be in her life."
"I can see that. I'm looking forward to sparring with her."
"Well, don't smack her around like she was Ian."
Dwayne scoffed, "Whatever, I've got a feeling that she could beat me down worse than Ian did. Anyone that runs with PD and DP know how to inflict major bodily harm on someone."
"No doubt."
A knock came on the door and Mai said, "Dwayne, Tammy. Megumi is ready to spar now. Just go past the living room and go into the last room down the hall."
Tammy called out, "Thank you." Tammy and Dwayne changed into their respective uniforms. The duo left the room to go to the dojo.
Tammy and Dwayne walked into the dojo. PD and DP were sitting to the right of Tammy and Dwayne. Angela was standing in front of Megumi in the middle of the room. Angela was wearing a silver karate uniform with a red dragon emblazoned on the back of it. Punching bags and various Japanese weapons were sitting on the wall. Megumi was wearing a black uniform with a gold dragon on her back as she looked at Angela with a face of stone. Tammy and Dwayne sat next to PD and DP.
Tammy asked, "Hey, guys. How good is Megumi?"
PD replied, "You'll see."
Megumi bowed to Angela. Angela returned the bow. Angela started off with a kick to Megumi's face. Angela blocked the kick and countered by blasting her in the face with a fist. Angela stumbled back from the blow, stunnedd by the power from the punch. She was feeling a bit worried about her chances against Megumi. Angela struck out at Megumi lighting fast with a chop to her neck.
Megumi fell to the ground. A small smile snuck onto Megumi's face as she got up, ready to finish this match off. Megumi cried, "White Tsunami Attack!" With inhuman speed, Megumi battered Angela with vicious body blows. Angela tried to block the blows, but they came too fast. Angela swayed unsteadily on her feet as Megumi poked her in the chest. Angela gasped in pain and fell to the floor.
Tammy and Dwayne both watched this and thought that they were in for a world of hurt. After a bit, Megumi helped Angela to her feet. Angela groaned and shuffled over to the sidelines. Tammy, in a blue gi decided to steel herself for the pain and suffering she was sure to feel.
Tammy and Megumi bowed to each other. Tammy started off by running up to Megumi and putting her in a bear hug, looking to squeeze some air out of her. Megumi had never gone against an opponent that used a bear hug on her. Megumi elbowed Tammy in the sternum to break the hold. The air escaped from Tammy as Megumi tried to deliver an axe kick to Tammy's face. Tammy grabbed her foot and threw her down to the floor. Tammy was starting to get happy about her accomplishments. The teenager stood over Megumi as she grimaced in pain. Megumi tripped Tammy up as she stood over her. Tammy fell to the floor. Megumi jumped on top of her and tried to press two fingers to her neck. This move would force Tammy to lose consciousness. Tammy fought off the fingers and struck back with a palm thrust to Megumi's throat. Megumi stumbled off of Tammy and rose to her feet. Megumi's throat was burning from the strike. Tammy jumped to her feet, yelling "SILK STORM!" Tammy rushed over to Megumi, looking to deliver her patented rising uppercut that always knocked out an opponent. Megumi dodged the charging uppercut and grabbed Tammy. She threw her into a nearby wall face first. Tammy groaned as she peeled herself off of the wall.
Megumi asked, "Are you okay?"
Tammy blinked the stars out of her eyes as she replied, "I'm okay."
Tammy walked over to the sidelines. Dwayne looked at Tammy with concern as she said, "I'm okay, really." Dwayne looked at her again and was satisfied that she would be okay.
Megumi wiped some sweat off her brow as she waited for Dwayne. Tammy has given her the most trouble so far. She could see that Angela was a better fighter with a weapon that without one. Angela wasn't really that bad in hand to hand, it seemed like karate was one of her weak links in the repertoire. She also knew that she didn't hurt them enough to impair them on their mission. She was really looking forward to matching wits with Dwayne.
Dwayne stepped forward and said, "Good moves, Megumi."
"I know." replied Megumi with a grin.
Dwayne motioned for Megumi to attack first. He figured that he could do better than Tammy and Angela if he let her attack first. He hoped that he capitalize if Megumi made a mistake. Megumi knew that he wanted her to attack first so he could capitalize on a mistake. She silently complimented Dwayne on his battle savvy. It was too bad that she didn't make mistakes that often. Megumi lashed with a series of kicks. Dwayne blocked the kicks and flipped over her. Megumi turned around and Dwayne lashed out with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Megumi fell to the floor, stunned by his speed. Megumi got up and fought back with a right cross to his jaw. Dwayne fell to the floor, slightly dazed from the punch. Megumi set Dwayne on his feet and delivered three quick kicks to his ribs. Dwayne hissed in pain as he dodged the flying fist from Megumi. He countered with a fist to the stomach. She couldn't believe that he had actually hurt her. Dwayne looked to press a pressure point on her neck to finish off the match. Dwayne put one arm around her waist and started to press the point. Megumi caught her second wind and kicked him in the groin. PD and DP winced in pain as Dwayne fell to the floor, touching his special area. Dwayne thought that the groin kick was pretty low. This reminded him of basketball on the streets, no rules.
Tammy yelled, "What was that?"
Megumi said, "Me doing what's necessary to win."
Dwayne pulled himself to his feet and said, "You've got me pissed off now. Nobody hurts The Franchise like that." Megumi shrugged as Dwayne charged at Megumi, fists flying.
Tammy watched both trade punches and kicks with blinding speed. She had never seen him fight as hard as he did against Megumi. Tammy wanted her to go down hard. Her head still throbbed from hitting that wall face-first. Angela was thinking about how her performance was disappointing. She always knew that karate was one of her weak points. She barely hurt her with that chop. Maybe she could take solace in the fact that she used a special attack on her. PD and DP were both impressed by how Dwayne was faring against Megumi. In fact, it looked like he could pull an upset and defeat Megumi in this sparring match. It took PD 16 tries to beat her. DP managed the feat after 11 tries. They just hoped that they wouldn't hurt themselves too much.
Both combatants were nearing the end of their endurance. Both were sore and in some pain. Dwayne felt that it was time to end this. Megumi smirked as she lashed out at Dwayne with a fist. Dwayne executed a perfect Kung-Fu Back Roll, rolling on her back and landing behind her. Dwayne turned her around and tried to kick her in the stomach. Megumi blocked the foot and spun him around. Dwayne was dizzy from the movement. Megumi turned him around to face her, smiled cutely, and grabbed his jaw. Megumi dropped to the ground, holding his jaw, yelling "White Tsunami Jawjacker!" Dwayne's jaw snapped back from Megumi's jawbreaker as he flew back to the floor in an exhausted and pained heap. Megumi breathed a small sigh of relief as she said, "You trained them well, guys. However, I'm still just too damn good."
After a couple of minutes, Dwayne rose to his feet and said, "Good match, Megumi."
"Same to you. I haven't been tested like that in a long time."
Dwayne smiled, "I'll get you next time."
Tammy groaned and stated, "I'll get you back too, but right now I need to rest."
Angela followed, "I second that notion about rest." Megumi called out to Mai.
Mai appeared later in the entrance to the room. "Mai, could you help our guests Tammy and Angela get rid of their aches and pains with some massages."
Mai answered, "Yes, Miss Arigami. Follow me." Tammy and Angela followed Mai out of the room.
Megumi asked, "Dwayne, I can see that you need some relaxation as well. Would you like to share a bath with me?"
Dwayne's eyes widened in surprise as Megumi laughed. Megumi smiled, "Don't worry, Japanese people do it all of the time and I have a lot of Japanese in me."
PD asked, "What are you trying to do?"
Megumi answered with a meek expression, "Nothing, I'm just teaching Dwayne a bit about Japanese culture. After all, he needs to learn some of this if he is going to live in Japan."
DP asked, "Dwayne, do you want to share a bath with her?"
Dwayne had read up about the bathing procedures in Japan. He trusted that nothing would be that inappropriate with Megumi. Hell, he could see how attractive she was.
Megumi said, "I'll be in a towel, what's wrong with you, PD?"
PD knew all about the bath-sharing trick. He wasn't that much older than Dwayne when they soaked together after a long battle against the forces of evil. She was prim and proper until she dropped the towel in front of him. Of course, he took advantage of this but he didn't want Dwayne to mess with Megumi while he was engaged to another woman.
Dwayne shrugged, "Fine with me. I assume you have separate rooms for us to wash up before we get into the bath."
"Of course."
DP said, "Okay, we need to get out of here then." DP gently pushed PD out of the room.
Dwayne said, "Okay, what's the deal with you and PD?"
"I'll answer you when we get into the bath."
"Lead the way." The duo left the dojo to go to the bath.
PD snarled at DP, "Why did you do that?
DP answered, "Because I trust Dwayne to stop her if she gets out of line."
PD whined, "He's a good kid, but he can't resist her."
"Yes, he can. We're not his parents."
"Yeah, but we're the older members of this party. It's our job to make sure that Dwayne and Tammy come back relatively normal."
"Yes, but we shouldn't worry about it. Have faith in him. We can't protect him from everything, you know."
PD grumbled, "Okay, so let's go pay some poker with Mai. She ought to be done massaging Tammy and Angela."
DP smiled, "You want to lose more money to her. Hell, the money she's taken from you over the years has directly paid for her granddaughter's college education."
"Shut up! You're not so clean either."
"True, but I can always say that I didn't lose 100,000 dollars to her." PD and DP went in search of Mai.
Dwayne stood over the standing faucet in the men's room. He scrubbed himself three times, following the First Commandment of Japanese bathing. The First Commandment is to wash thyself fully at least twice since the Japanese are sticklers for cleanliness. The Second Commandment is to rinse yourself of all suds before entering the bath. After doing that, Dwayne thought about the third commandment. The Third Commandment was not to stand up immodestly while washing. He wasn't bathing with other men, so that wasn't a problem. He definitely didn't want to show off to other guys or in this case, his attractive future boss. Dwayne wrapped a towel around his waist and walked to the bath.
The bath was large and circular with stone tigers depositing the water from their mouths. Megumi had her eyes closed as she heard Dwayne's footsteps.
Megumi opened her eyes and smiled. She patted a space beside her in the water and said, "Come sit by me."
Dwayne stepped into the warm water and felt the water calm down his aching joints. "Relaxing, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is Megumi. I needed that after the match."
"It wasn't a picnic for me. You made me feel older than 24 with this fight."
Dwayne smirked and asked, "So what's the deal with you and PD?"
Megumi sighed, "We used to be lovers."
"Wow, and you two still work together?"
"Yes, we do. I love this job."
Dwayne looked at her in puzzlement as he asked, "Isn't it strange to work with an ex-boyfriend?"
"It can be, but it helps that I don't see him that much. They only visit Japan 3 times a year."
"Oh, so what happened to break you two up?" A dark look crossed Megumi's delicate face as she replied, "Two things, my family and his reluctance to go against them."
"Elaborate, Megumi."
"My family didn't approve of our pairing. PD was and still is, a bit too unconventional for their tastes. My family has a long and storied history in Japanese annals. They were afraid that he would bring shame to the Arigami name. PD didn't want to deal with a prolonged struggle. So we ended the relationship."
Dwayne sighed, "That sucks, but couldn't he try and overcome your family's objections?"
"He could've, but at the time he wasn't as determined as he is now."
"Well, he's still single. Do you want to get back with him?"
"I did, but too mach has passed between us to salvage our relationship. In fact, we had a discussion today that pretty much put the final nail in the coffin. We both said mean things to each other."
"Man, I hope that Tammy and I don't end up like that." Dwayne stretched, trying to get some of the pain off of him.
Megumi looked at him and said, "Would you mind if I gave you a massage?"
Dwayne answered, "Could you massage my shoulders?"
"With pleasure."
Dwayne moved out a bit in the water so Megumi could massage his shoulders. Dwayne sighed in contentment as her fingers melted away the pain. Megumi thought that Dwayne was a more polished version of PD when he was 18. She knew that Dwayne was engaged to Tammy, but they weren't at the altar yet.
Megumi whispered, "Turn around." Dwayne turned around to face Megumi. He looked into her golden eyes and her delicate face. It was really sad that she hadn't found someone to be with her. He could see the curves of her body, towel or no towel. If he weren't with Tammy, there would be no question Megumi would jump to the top of the list. Megumi kissed him softly on the lips. Dwayne was so startled that he couldn't say anything.
Megumi touched his lips with a finger and said, "I know you're engaged but I couldn't help myself. You're a good guy and I was tempted to do a lot more than that kiss. If you and Tammy don't work out, I'll be there for you." Megumi stepped out of the bath and walked away.
Dwayne stood in the bath, shocked by what just occurred. The damning thing about it was that he enjoyed the kiss. Her lips were so soft it was like kissing a fluffy pillow. He could easily see himself with her. Dwayne shook his head and said, "I love Tammy, dammit." Dwayne stepped out of the bath and put on a robe. He left the bath and walked back to his room with Tammy, his mind swirling in confusion.
Kamal sat in the corner of a popular Tokyo nightclub. Storm had managed to convince him to go with him to a club. Kamal wasn't much of a club hopper, but to pacify his partner he decided to accompany him. He watched all of the young people gyrate like their bodies were on fire. In his opinion, the disco era was the apex of popular culture. John Travolta could style and profile in a white leisure suit like no one else. He looked at Storm, drinking some whiskey with 4 beautiful Japanese girls clustering around him in a booth. It never failed to amaze him to see how he managed to get with all of these women. Sometimes, he didn't even need to throw down with the local hooker. Apparently, some women liked to be abused. Kamal's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Malcolm and Willie enter the club.
Malcolm was in a good mood. He and Willie visited a hot springs earlier in the day to relax. Malcolm believed that they were destined to succeed this time. Willie's thoughts were to get in the pants of a hot Japanese woman. Although beating the living crap out of Dwayne was never far from his thoughts. Malcolm tapped Dwayne on his shoulder and motioned toward Storm. Both men nodded and ran up to Storm.
Storm was blissfully unaware of the imminent danger until Willie punched him in the face. The woman around Storm scattered like the club was on fire. Malcolm used Willie as a springboard to dropkick Storm in the face. The combined assault sent Storm sprawling to the floor. Willie and Malcolm started to viciously kick Storm in his ribs. Kamal ran up to Willie and turned him around. Kamal cracked him in the jaw with a left cross, followed by a punch to the stomach. Kamal picked Willie up and threw him through a nearby glass booth. Willie lay on a table, unconscious. Malcolm saw his friend fly through a pane of glass and stopped kicking Storm. Malcolm growled and jumped on Kamal, pummeling him with fists and feet of rage.
Storm got up and pulled Malcolm off of Kamal. Both men nodded and punched Malcolm in the stomach. Malcolm grunted as Storm held him up so Kamal could hit him. Kamal blasted Malcolm in the face with a kick. Storm picked up Malcolm and threw him through a table. The table broke in half, as Malcolm lay on the floor motionless. Both men smirked and touched fists in triumph. They didn't see two police officers come up from behind and bash them over the head with nightsticks. Both men crumpled to the floor. The police officers took all of the combatants away.
All of our heroes were asleep by this point in the day. Dwayne was tossing and turning in the futon, having disturbing dreams of he and Megumi locked in passion. Tammy couldn't feel any of this since she was dead to the world. PD was dreaming about a sweet memory between he and Megumi in which they ate a romantic dinner at the Japan Tower. DP was dreaming about his girlfriend Alice. Angela didn't dream about anything. She just slept the sleep of the content. Megumi was dreaming about Dwayne and all of the things she would do to him if he had a chance.
A ghost stepped through the walls of Megumi's home. The ghost had the visage of a young, slim samurai warrior with cold black eyes and a tall frame.
His sword and black armor gleamed as he said, "These are the people that must face me."
He closed his eyes and chanted, "In the name of the Kao Belt, send these men and women to my place."
PD, DP, Angela, Megumi, Tammy, and Dwayne all disappeared from their futons to appear where the samurai ghost wanted them to be. The samurai said, "Next up, the police station."
He snapped his fingers and appeared in the police station holding cells.
He looked at the sleeping figures of Dwayne, Willie, Malcolm, and Storm.
Shaking his head, he murmured, "What a group these people are. Damn the fates."
The samurai sighed, "In the name of the Kao Belt, send these men and women to my place."
The four men disappeared to appear in the samurai's lair. The warrior smirked, "It's time." He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a sliver of light.
All ten men and women appeared in a cage in a cave.
Megumi asked, "Where the hell are we?"
Storm smirked, "I don't know, but looking at you made my night."
Megumi snarled, "Shut up, before I kick your ass."
"By all means, submit to the greatness of the Storm."
Angela scoffed, "Please, don't lie about the greatness shit to her."
"You didn't mind, Angela."
Angela ran to get at Storm, but Dwayne held her back. Dwayne said, "Fighting with them doesn't do anything right now."
Malcolm remarked, "Right you are."
Willie said, "Wait a minute, where's Big Money and Silk?"
The samurai appeared before them and said, "Now, now. Mr. Wayne. Why don't you take a guess?"
Willie looked at Dwayne and Tammy and said, "No way." Dwayne sighed and said, "GHETTO!" Dwayne transformed into Big Money. Silk followed suit and transformed into Silk. Malcolm's eyes grew wide and he immediately looked at Willie.
Willie looked back and said, "What?" Malcolm immediately started to beat the living crap out of Willie. He was angry that his friend sired his worst enemy.
After he was exhausted, Willie said, "You're real lucky that I know just how much you hate him or they would be hell to pay for smacking me around like that."
Big Money just looked at his dad and quipped, "Good job, dad of mine."
"Shut up!"
"Make me."
Megumi yelled, "ENOUGH!"
The samurai ghost said, "You're correct, Ms. Arigami. I'll just get right to the point. The reason all of you are here is because I have the Kao Belt fragment."
The samurai pulled out the fragment to show the masses. "My name is Daisuke Hirosue."
Megumi's eyes widened, "The great samurai warrior?"
"That is correct, my family has been charged with the caretaking of this particular fragment for thousands of years. The deal is simple. I need to finally rest in peace and the best way for me to do that is for one of you from each of your group to beat me."
Kamal looked at him and remarked, "You don't look so tough."
Daisuke looked at Kamal and said, "Big words, Kamal Davis. I'm not finished yet. I get to pick who fights me. No second chances either, you beat me and you get to leave with this. You lose and it's just too damn bad. Oh and we fight in a sword duel."
PD said, "Okay, but you're dead. How are we supposed to know that we beat you?"
Daisuke closed his eyes and he suddenly solidified. Dwayne said, "Neat trick, so would our representative kill you in your new body there?"
"Nope, just wound me. As you say, I can't be killed since I'm already dead."
DP said, "Just peachy."
Daisuke answered dryly, "It is, PD. And as to how I know all of you, let's just say the spirits told me you would be here."
Daisuke looked at the group assembled in front of him. The samurai quickly decided who would be the best candidates.
Daisuke opened the cage and said, "Kamal Davis, step forth and grab your destiny."
Kamal walked out of the cage and crowed, "You got that right, samurai boy!"
Storm cried out, "Go fuck him up, Kamal!"
Angela retorted, "More like Daisuke going to be the one to fuck him up."
"Shut your mouth, bitch."
Silk hissed, "You're cruising for an ass-whooping, aren't you?"
Storm smirked, "I'd love to get in your ass, Silk, a.k.a. Tammy. Besides, Big Money can tell me all about it." Big Money snarled and lunged at Storm. Megumi and PD held him back.
Megumi said, "He's not worth it right now." Big Money calmed down and sat back down beside Silk and Megumi.
Daisuke snapped his fingers. Both men appeared in an elevated platform away from the cage with katana in hand. Kamal looked down and thought that he hated tall places.
Daisuke looked at Kamal and said, "C'mon, I'm ready to go when you are."
Kamal closed his eyes and focused on calming himself down. "I'm ready, you whelp."
Daisuke smirked and brought down his blade at his head. Kamal blocked the slice and countered with a slice to Daisuke's side. Daisuke blocked the strike and summoned an extra level of strength to try and overpower Kamal. He wanted to beat him as quickly as possibly. Daisuke yelled and started to attack harder. Kamal was fighting off the strikes, but it was taking all of his skill and guile to survive. Kamal knew that he couldn't beat him in a straight up fight, so he decided to grab a palmful of dirt and blind Daisuke. Kamal grabbed the dirt and threw it in his face. The dirt temporarily blinded Daisuke, giving him the opportunity he needed. Kamal wasn't fast enough as Daisuke regained his vision. He caught Kamal in the side with his sword as he ran out at him. Kamal groaned as he saw his blood stain the ground.
Daisuke said, "Nice try, but not good enough."
Daisuke snapped his fingers and the sword disappeared. His wound was healed up as he put Kamal back into the cage.
Big Money drawled, "Good job, Kamal."
"Shut the fuck up, you little nugget!"
Silk commented, "I'll give you credit for coming up with a pretty good retort, but you still lost."
Daisuke said, "As your parting gift, you get to go back where you were located." Daisuke
waved as the two men disappeared to go back to their hotel room.
Daisuke stated, "Malcolm-Jamal Helmsley, it's your turn to try and fulfill your destiny."
Malcolm walked out of the cage opening and growled, "Damn right it is."
Willie said, "It's all you."
Big Money said, "Dad, how can you be so supportive of someone who beat you like that?"
"Because he's my friend, which is more than I can so for you. I hate looking at you. You think you have it made with the fiancée and the job. Oh and I can see that you like that cute girl
over there."
"She's a friend, nothing more."
"Yeah, that's what your saying now. I can tell that you did something with her tonight."
Silk growled, "Stop your lies. He would never do anything to hurt me."
Willie said, "Yes, but he'll hurt you all the same. I know about that all too well with his mother." A look of pain flashed on Willie's features as he said, "But when I get the chance, I'll rectify the situation."
Big Money couldn't believe that he could see his shame about kissing Megumi. Big Money replied, "Killing me won't bring her back."
"Doesn't matter, it'll make me feel better."
"That's crazy, the doctors told you she died of a heart attack."
"Yes, caused by your constant clinginess to her." Exasperated, Big Money replied, "What do you expect? I was just a kid then."
"Boy, when I was that age I was helping my dad on the farm."
"Good for you, but we didn't live on a farm. The days of legalized child abuse was over a long time ago."
"Fuck you! You would've turned out better."
PD chimed in, "Your son has turned out to be a fine young man. Hell, he's a better son than you deserve. Any parent would be proud to have his son be as successful as he is right now."
DP took up the call, "C'mon, he's going to end up in the upper tax bracket before he graduates. He's going to marry one of the most beautiful women in the world. He's gotten to see more than New Wales. This vendetta of yours is wrong."
Willie snarled, "Both of you can kiss my ass. I will have my vengeance on him."
Big Money asked, "How is that going to make mom feel better? Killing me won't make her a happy camper. If anything, that would piss her off."
"I want to kill you because you caused her to die, doctors be damned. You took away the one true piece of happiness that I've ever had in my life."
Big Money sighed, saddened that he couldn't get through to him, "Your "friend" is about to fight."
Daisuke smirked at Malcolm, believing that this would be a quick win. Malcolm didn't look too confident in his chances. Malcolm was scared to death of this ghost. It reminded him of all of the crap they went through in that mansion in England. He still got chills thinking about the goblins, ghosts, and werewolves that roamed that place.
Willie looked at him and groaned, "Damn, he's thinking about that mansion."
Megumi smirked, "Some champion he is. Look at that." Willie groaned as Malcolm dropped the sword and forfeited.
Malcolm appeared in the cage and Willie immediately beat up Malcolm in anger. "You coward!" spat out Willie.
Daisuke sighed and said, "C'mon, I can't believe how gutless he was. Get out of my sight." The duo disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Daisuke looked at Megumi and said, "Come, Megumi Arigami. Let's see if you truly deserve to be called The White Tsunami."
Megumi said, "You're damn right I do. Let's play."
The cage opened up and Megumi strode out of the cage. Megumi was confident in her ability. She sure as hell wasn't going to go down like a chump. The two appeared on the platform.
Daisuke grinned and said, "A true test. I can see that you're going to give me all you've got."
"That's right. You should be glad that I'm going to defeat you. After all, you get to rest after I beat you."
"True, but you have to beat me first."
Daisuke rushed out at Megumi, slashing at her. Megumi blocked and returned the attack. Sparks flew in the air as the swords connected in their duel.
Big Money watched this and prayed that she would succeed. If not, the whole world would be in jeopardy. Besides, he wanted her to live so he could figure out just what to do. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her very strongly. Apparently his dad could see that and he barely met her. Life had to be complicated. PD thought about how it would suck if she didn't get the fragment. Her spirit would be crushed. He still cared for her despite all of the harsh things he said to her. He figured that a little bit of Megumi cared for him too. DP and Angela just wanted Megumi to win so they could get the fragment. All of the other crap talked about was secondary.
Daisuke was very tired as he took stock of his opponent. She would have fit in perfectly in the feudal era of Japan. Whoever ended up with her was going to be an extremely lucky man. He needed to end this now. It really benefited him more to lose, but he couldn't throw the fight like that. It would be a disservice to both of them. Megumi's thoughts were that this guy earned his place in Japanese history. She knew all about it. Daisuke died in the early 1900s defending his family's land from marauding bandits. When she beat him, this would definitely be a story to tell to the grandkids. Both stood in front of each other and charged at each other in the classic samurai duel. When the dust cleared, Megumi stood with her sword in the air and Daisuke stood on the ground clutching his side.
Daisuke smiled and remarked, "You are a true warrior, Megumi Arigami." He got up and said, "Did I clip you at least."
Megumi showed him the slice in her side. "You got me, but I was just a bit faster." "That you were and as I promised, here is the fragment." Daisuke handed her the fragment and Megumi raised it up in the air in triumph. Her friends in the cage cheered.
Daisuke said, "One special benefit of beating me is that you can call on me whenever you need anything."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, nobody's beating me in the last 800 years of so. It's only fair."
"Cool."
"Very cool, although there is one thing I need to tell you."
"What's that?"
"Watch yourself in this love with young Wayne."
"I will. Out of curiosity, what would've happened if I didn't get the fragment?"
"Well, you wouldn't have gotten another chance and later some new challengers would have the privilege of fighting me."
"Oh, well at least the bad guys wouldn't have got it."
"For now, but there will always be someone looking for this power."
"Great, so now that we've got that taken care of can we go home now."
Daisuke smiled and said, "Of course you may. Tell your friends I wish them well on the rest of their journey."
Megumi's smile dazzled as she said, "I will." Daisuke snapped his fingers and the group returned to Megumi's house.
Daisuke said quietly, "I'm at peace now." Daisuke Hirosue disappeared in a flash of white light.
The group returned to the house. Silk and Big Money were now Tammy and Dwayne.
Tammy exulted, "You were awesome."
Megumi smirked, "I know." PD, Dwayne, DP, and Angela all said their thanks to her.
Tammy said, "I'm going to bed, aren't you tired Dwayne?"
Dwayne said, "No, I'm fine."
PD, DP, and Angela all decided to follow Tammy's example and go to sleep.
Dwayne said, "I'm glad you won. So what happens now?"
Megumi shrugged, "You know how I feel."
Megumi hugged Dwayne and whispered, "I'll be here for you. Remember that."
Dwayne said, "But I love Tammy. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me if you marry her. One thing I know for sure is that life has many twists and turns in the road. You can't be certain that you'll stay with her. Hell, you can't be certain a relationship with me would be stable. But you just have to take the turns as they go."
Megumi kissed Dwayne on the cheek and walked to her room. Dwayne stood in the hallway and said quietly, "She's right. I don't know whether to damn her or thank her for just being so damn sexy." Dwayne went to his room to get Megumi out of his mind.
End Ch. 15
Author's Notes
This is going to be a long one. First off, Megumi's name was thought up thus. I thought of Megumi Morisato of Oh My Goddess anime fame and her last name of Arigami is my little tribute to Jim Bader's fanfic series, Nabiki 1/2. One of the main characters in there is named Keiko Arigami. I liked Keiko because she was brash and arrogant, but she could still remain cheerful in spite of all the stuff that happened to her. I think that Megumi has some of those qualities in there as far as the brashness goes. Just to plug, if you like a long alternate universe Ranma epic that mixes in people from Street Fighter, MIB, Darkstalkers, Oh My Goddess, Greek Gods, and Vampire Princess Miyu go read Nabiki 1/2. (And no, Mr. Bader isn't paying me for this. Just a fan) I think this chapter is probably the best thing I've written. I had a lot of fun typing this one up. I didn't think that Megumi and DP would play such a big role in the chapter. This chapter also set up stuff for the sequel to this series. I was having trouble thinking of where they would go after graduation. That is all and in parting I wish you
Peace, love, and hair grease
Showstopper
The young woman closed her eyes. She felt the power flow through her body as she held the wooden bokken (Japanese wooden sword). The woman opened her golden eyes and made two precise slashes at the practice dummy. With no emotion on her face, she watched as the dummy fell to the floor cut in half.
A knock came on the door and a short older woman entered the room, saying, "Megumi, PD and DP are coming to Tokyo with their friends. You know why they're coming here, correct?"
"Yes, we have to retrieve a fragment of the Kao Belt. They told me all about it a couple of weeks ago. I'll be at the airport to pick them up, Mai." Mai bowed and left the room.
Megumi toweled herself off and thought about her life. She'd been working for PD and DP for 6 years, ever since she was 19. It was a great honor to be the main woman in charge of their Japanese business interests. Her main source of enjoyment was her work as the White Tsunami. Megumi loved to frighten and humiliate criminals much older than her 25 years of age. Megumi knew that her speed with her blade was unmatched, so no criminal that went up against her had a snowball's chance in hell of defeating her. Megumi slipped out of her golden gi and went to take a shower and put on some clothes. One thing that she definitely wanted to do was to look good for her compatriots PD and DP, along with their protégés. But she especially wanted to look good for PD, or Alec. They still had some feelings left to resolve.
PD and DP say in the cockpit of Shadowhawk. PD was at the controls of the plane and DP was in the navigator's seat beside him.
DP said, "Hey, man. We're going to Tokyo."
PD said casually, "So?"
"You know."
"I don't know anything."
"Stop it, we both know that we're going to meet up with Megumi when we get there."
"What's your point?"
With some anger, DP answered, "My point is that you two broke up under sad circumstances a couple of years ago."
"That has nothing to do with our mission."
"It could compromise our mission if yo two get angry at each other."
PD scoffed, "Megumi is okay with me now and everything's a-okay. Hell, she's still working for us."
"That doesn't mean anything, only a complete fool would voluntarily leave our employ."
"If anyone had a reason to leave, she did."
"That may be, but I just don't want shit to happen."
"Don't worry we're both professionals. Everything will be fine."
"It's not her I'm worried about. I can tell that you still have feelings for her."
PD sighed, "I don't care about her like that anymore."
"You can't fool me, you still want her."
Annoyed, PD replied, "If she's such a catch, why don't you dump Leslie and get with Megumi?"
DP said in a low voice, "You better not say that again."
"I apologize, but I'd appreciate it if you don't talk about the relationship between Megumi and I again."
"Fine." PD grabbed the speakerphone, "Okay, people. We're almost in the land of the rising sun." DP sighed softly as they started to touch down at the Tokyo airport.
The group filed out of the airplane and waited for the appearance of Megumi Arigami. Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela were all eagerly anticipating visiting some of Tokyo's sights. After 30 minutes, Megumi made her appearance driving a sleek minivan. Megumi stepped out of the car and smiled. She said hi to PD and DP and then walked over to Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela. She bowed to Dwayne, Tammy, and Angela in turn. Dwayne liked what he saw of Megumi. Megumi was short and curvaceous with red hair, golden eyes and Eurasian features. To his eyes, she looked flawless in a sharp black business suit that showed just the right amount of feminity.
In a musical voice, Megumi said, "Welcome to Tokyo, Wayne-san, Rogers-san, and Grabek-san."
Dwayne bowed and replied, "Thank you, Arigami-san."
"You're welcome, Wayne-san. From now on, call me Megumi. I'm not that stuck on Japanese protocol, even though I've spent my life here in Japan." Tammy and Angela both said their thank you to Megumi after Dwayne.
Dwayne smiled and asked, "Okay, Megumi. I assume you run PD and DP business dealings here in Japan."
"Of course, do you want to work for me?"
Tammy stated, "You'll have to include me in that equation, Megumi."
"Yes, my friends PD and DP told me of your engagement to Dwayne. The offer stands for you as well."
DP jumped into the conversation, "Megumi has needed help so we're officially offering you two the chance to come here to work when you graduate."
Dwayne and Tammy cried out happily, "We accept!"
Megumi grinned, "Splendid, the legal stuff will be taken care of later. But right now, we need to get out of here and go to my house."
Angela spoke up, "Can we visit some sights before we go to your home?"
"Yes, I suppose we can do that." The group piled into the van and left the airport.
As they drove through the congested streets of Tokyo, PD thought about how his two protégés were immediately taken in by Megumi. He knew that Megumi would be a good influence for Dwayne and Tammy. It seemed like the decision about their working relationship after graduation was made so fast. DP just asked them and they accepted quickly. He shouldn't be so upset about this. Megumi needed the help more than anyone else in their business and not just with the business side of things. Tokyo itself didn't have that much of a crime problem. However, other places in Japan definitely had problems like the yakuza (Japanese mob) and other supernatural things. PD just hoped that they would be ready.
Tammy's thoughts were on Megumi. The short conversation she and Dwayne had with her was cool. Megumi seemed to be a kindred spirit. She could tell that Megumi knew what she wanted out of her life. It would definitely be an interesting experience to work with her. Besides that, she would get to live in Japan. Japan always had been one of her dream countries to live in. The crime rate in Japan was relatively stable and the culture was amazing. Tammy grinned to herself in triumph.
Dwayne smiled as he looked out the window at all of the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. He saw all of the huge buildings and the people milling around in the streets. Teenagers were wearing cool stuff and had their hair dyed in all sorts of funky colors. The city was so clean it made his eyes hurt. It amazed him to see that a city this big was so clean. New Wales doesn't even come close to having as many people as Tokyo does and the city is a mess. Dwayne read about how Tokyo is like a modern utopia with trains running on time, vending machines with everything a person could need, cool restaurants and even cooler clubs and clothes. Just as important to Dwayne was all of the anime and video games available here. He couldn't wait to explore this teeming city in detail when he and Tammy moved here.
Angela was also enraptured with Tokyo. In all of her travels around the world, she had never managed to come to Tokyo. The closest she'd been to Japan was in Hong Kong a while back. But her thoughts turned to Snakeeyes and his comment to her. Angela wasn't sure what was supposed to happen between her and Snakeeyes. It was a pretty good bet that whatever it was wouldn't be easy. Angela sighed softly to herself.
DP's thoughts were concentrated on Megumi. The comment PD made to him about getting with Megumi hurt. It really hurt because it was true. If he weren't with Leslie, Megumi would definitely be in his sights. PD was a damn fool for dumping her because of her family's objections. Nothing short of God would have stopped him from getting with Megumi. PD and Megumi was a great match. Both were unconventional, witty, and fun loving. No use crying over old news.
As Megumi navigated through the rush-hour traffic, she was really looking forward to some noodles for lunch. Thoughts of her pallet moved toward Dwayne and Tammy. PD and DP told her about them. She could see that both would be very competent in work, both business and with crime fighting. Megumi felt a special affinity to Dwayne. He just had charisma oozing from his pores. It reminded her a lot of how PD was early in their relationship. PD was still charismatic, but too much had gone down between them now to rekindle the fire. There would still be a reckoning between them.
Megumi and company stopped off at a great noodle shack for lunch. After that, they visited Joypolis a multi-story video game arcade that housed Sega's interactive entertainment technology. The group had to forcibly pull themselves away from Joypolis to walk along the Rainbow Bridge. As they walked along the single-span suspension bridge, they were treated a magnificent view of Tokyo bay and Mt. Fuji. The last spot on their little tour was to visit Tokyo Tower. Dwayne remarked that the tower looked pretty good for something that constantly got destroyed in anime. Tammy slapped him in the back of the head and yelled, "BAKA!" (Japanese term for idiot). Everyone laughed and they sped away to Megumi's house.
The group piled out of the van and looked at Megumi's fairly large abode. The outside of the house was simple with a walkway and a couple of trees. The house itself was colored in white and red paint. They stepped into the house. Tammy, Dwayne, and Angela immediately felt at home. A fireplace was burning in the living room and small bonsai trees were sitting on the magazine table. A couch and a big TV were set up in the room as well. Dwayne thought that staying here for Christmas would've been a lot better than spending it in an airplane. A short, wizened woman appeared in front of the mass of people.
Megumi smiled, "Hello, Mai. Our guests are here. Could you take their luggage to the guest rooms?" Mai smiled and grabbed all of the suitcases to put them in the guest rooms. Angela stood in shock at this feat because they didn't pack lightly.
Tammy said, "Damn, I would break my back trying to carry all of those bags and I'm probably one-third of her age."
Megumi grinned, "Yes, Mai is a very formidable lady. She's been working for me since I bought this place 4 years ago. Anyway, I'd like for your guys to get settled in your rooms. Later on, I'd like to spar with Dwayne, Angela, and Tammy."
Dwayne smiled and replied, "Sounds good to me." Tammy snuggled up to Dwayne as Mai returned to lead them away to their rooms. PD started to follow when Megumi whispered in his ear, "We need to talk. Follow me." PD sighed and followed her into a private room.
Megumi closed the door and looked at PD.
PD asked, "What?"
Megumi walked up to PD and slapped him in the face. The force of the slap sent PD sprawling to the floor. Megumi kicked him in the ribcage as he lay on the floor.
PD got up and quietly asked, "Does that make you feel better?"
Megumi snarled, "Not by a long shot."
"Why do you still work for me if you hate me so much?"
"Because only a fool would turn down a job like this."
PD sighed, "You knew what was going to happen if we got married."
"I didn't care that my family was going to disown me."
"I couldn't let you do that. We both know that you would have ended up on the streets if your family kicked you out."
Megumi scoffed, "I'm a skilled warrior. Living on the streets wouldn't be that difficult."
"You say that now, but back then you weren't as able."
"Okay, my problem with you is that you didn't believe enough in our love to withstand any opposition."
PD bristled, "Love's a two way street, Megumi. You couldn't convince me to stay in the relationship. Blame can be put on you too."
"SHUT UP!"
"You can't shut me up. I'm not going to stand here and get insulted like this."
Megumi hissed, "You're in my home. I'll speak to you anyway I want to."
"Yes, but without this job you wouldn't be living in the lap of luxury. I don't care if we were stranded on a desert island somewhere. I won't be belittled by you."
PD looked at Megumi intently as he said, "Megumi, we had a fulfilling relationship that turned sour. Let it go." Megumi snarled, "I don't know why I still care for you. But know this, I will move on with my life as you say." Megumi strode out of the room in anger. PD sighed and walked out of the room.
Dwayne and Tammy lay on the futon watching an anime TV show. They felt at peace in this room. The two had a wonderful view of the tastefully arranged flower garden in the backyard. Away from the garden was a small pool adorned with water-splashed rocks and gigantic carp. The pool gurgled in a soothing sound. The room itself was simply furnished with the king-sized futon (Japanese bedding), fragile tatami (grass) mats that covered the floor, a cherry table on short legs, the small TV, a clock, and a medium sized closet for their stuff. Two gi's (martial arts uniforms) were set aside for the loving couple.
Dwayne smiled, "I love this place."
Tammy answered, "Same here. I wish we could stay here for a long time."
Dwayne sighed, "We probably won't stay here when we move here after graduation."
"True, but maybe we can find something similar."
Dwayne asked, "So what do you think of Megumi?"
"She seems to be a nice person, very assured about where she wants to be in her life."
"I can see that. I'm looking forward to sparring with her."
"Well, don't smack her around like she was Ian."
Dwayne scoffed, "Whatever, I've got a feeling that she could beat me down worse than Ian did. Anyone that runs with PD and DP know how to inflict major bodily harm on someone."
"No doubt."
A knock came on the door and Mai said, "Dwayne, Tammy. Megumi is ready to spar now. Just go past the living room and go into the last room down the hall."
Tammy called out, "Thank you." Tammy and Dwayne changed into their respective uniforms. The duo left the room to go to the dojo.
Tammy and Dwayne walked into the dojo. PD and DP were sitting to the right of Tammy and Dwayne. Angela was standing in front of Megumi in the middle of the room. Angela was wearing a silver karate uniform with a red dragon emblazoned on the back of it. Punching bags and various Japanese weapons were sitting on the wall. Megumi was wearing a black uniform with a gold dragon on her back as she looked at Angela with a face of stone. Tammy and Dwayne sat next to PD and DP.
Tammy asked, "Hey, guys. How good is Megumi?"
PD replied, "You'll see."
Megumi bowed to Angela. Angela returned the bow. Angela started off with a kick to Megumi's face. Angela blocked the kick and countered by blasting her in the face with a fist. Angela stumbled back from the blow, stunnedd by the power from the punch. She was feeling a bit worried about her chances against Megumi. Angela struck out at Megumi lighting fast with a chop to her neck.
Megumi fell to the ground. A small smile snuck onto Megumi's face as she got up, ready to finish this match off. Megumi cried, "White Tsunami Attack!" With inhuman speed, Megumi battered Angela with vicious body blows. Angela tried to block the blows, but they came too fast. Angela swayed unsteadily on her feet as Megumi poked her in the chest. Angela gasped in pain and fell to the floor.
Tammy and Dwayne both watched this and thought that they were in for a world of hurt. After a bit, Megumi helped Angela to her feet. Angela groaned and shuffled over to the sidelines. Tammy, in a blue gi decided to steel herself for the pain and suffering she was sure to feel.
Tammy and Megumi bowed to each other. Tammy started off by running up to Megumi and putting her in a bear hug, looking to squeeze some air out of her. Megumi had never gone against an opponent that used a bear hug on her. Megumi elbowed Tammy in the sternum to break the hold. The air escaped from Tammy as Megumi tried to deliver an axe kick to Tammy's face. Tammy grabbed her foot and threw her down to the floor. Tammy was starting to get happy about her accomplishments. The teenager stood over Megumi as she grimaced in pain. Megumi tripped Tammy up as she stood over her. Tammy fell to the floor. Megumi jumped on top of her and tried to press two fingers to her neck. This move would force Tammy to lose consciousness. Tammy fought off the fingers and struck back with a palm thrust to Megumi's throat. Megumi stumbled off of Tammy and rose to her feet. Megumi's throat was burning from the strike. Tammy jumped to her feet, yelling "SILK STORM!" Tammy rushed over to Megumi, looking to deliver her patented rising uppercut that always knocked out an opponent. Megumi dodged the charging uppercut and grabbed Tammy. She threw her into a nearby wall face first. Tammy groaned as she peeled herself off of the wall.
Megumi asked, "Are you okay?"
Tammy blinked the stars out of her eyes as she replied, "I'm okay."
Tammy walked over to the sidelines. Dwayne looked at Tammy with concern as she said, "I'm okay, really." Dwayne looked at her again and was satisfied that she would be okay.
Megumi wiped some sweat off her brow as she waited for Dwayne. Tammy has given her the most trouble so far. She could see that Angela was a better fighter with a weapon that without one. Angela wasn't really that bad in hand to hand, it seemed like karate was one of her weak links in the repertoire. She also knew that she didn't hurt them enough to impair them on their mission. She was really looking forward to matching wits with Dwayne.
Dwayne stepped forward and said, "Good moves, Megumi."
"I know." replied Megumi with a grin.
Dwayne motioned for Megumi to attack first. He figured that he could do better than Tammy and Angela if he let her attack first. He hoped that he capitalize if Megumi made a mistake. Megumi knew that he wanted her to attack first so he could capitalize on a mistake. She silently complimented Dwayne on his battle savvy. It was too bad that she didn't make mistakes that often. Megumi lashed with a series of kicks. Dwayne blocked the kicks and flipped over her. Megumi turned around and Dwayne lashed out with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Megumi fell to the floor, stunned by his speed. Megumi got up and fought back with a right cross to his jaw. Dwayne fell to the floor, slightly dazed from the punch. Megumi set Dwayne on his feet and delivered three quick kicks to his ribs. Dwayne hissed in pain as he dodged the flying fist from Megumi. He countered with a fist to the stomach. She couldn't believe that he had actually hurt her. Dwayne looked to press a pressure point on her neck to finish off the match. Dwayne put one arm around her waist and started to press the point. Megumi caught her second wind and kicked him in the groin. PD and DP winced in pain as Dwayne fell to the floor, touching his special area. Dwayne thought that the groin kick was pretty low. This reminded him of basketball on the streets, no rules.
Tammy yelled, "What was that?"
Megumi said, "Me doing what's necessary to win."
Dwayne pulled himself to his feet and said, "You've got me pissed off now. Nobody hurts The Franchise like that." Megumi shrugged as Dwayne charged at Megumi, fists flying.
Tammy watched both trade punches and kicks with blinding speed. She had never seen him fight as hard as he did against Megumi. Tammy wanted her to go down hard. Her head still throbbed from hitting that wall face-first. Angela was thinking about how her performance was disappointing. She always knew that karate was one of her weak points. She barely hurt her with that chop. Maybe she could take solace in the fact that she used a special attack on her. PD and DP were both impressed by how Dwayne was faring against Megumi. In fact, it looked like he could pull an upset and defeat Megumi in this sparring match. It took PD 16 tries to beat her. DP managed the feat after 11 tries. They just hoped that they wouldn't hurt themselves too much.
Both combatants were nearing the end of their endurance. Both were sore and in some pain. Dwayne felt that it was time to end this. Megumi smirked as she lashed out at Dwayne with a fist. Dwayne executed a perfect Kung-Fu Back Roll, rolling on her back and landing behind her. Dwayne turned her around and tried to kick her in the stomach. Megumi blocked the foot and spun him around. Dwayne was dizzy from the movement. Megumi turned him around to face her, smiled cutely, and grabbed his jaw. Megumi dropped to the ground, holding his jaw, yelling "White Tsunami Jawjacker!" Dwayne's jaw snapped back from Megumi's jawbreaker as he flew back to the floor in an exhausted and pained heap. Megumi breathed a small sigh of relief as she said, "You trained them well, guys. However, I'm still just too damn good."
After a couple of minutes, Dwayne rose to his feet and said, "Good match, Megumi."
"Same to you. I haven't been tested like that in a long time."
Dwayne smiled, "I'll get you next time."
Tammy groaned and stated, "I'll get you back too, but right now I need to rest."
Angela followed, "I second that notion about rest." Megumi called out to Mai.
Mai appeared later in the entrance to the room. "Mai, could you help our guests Tammy and Angela get rid of their aches and pains with some massages."
Mai answered, "Yes, Miss Arigami. Follow me." Tammy and Angela followed Mai out of the room.
Megumi asked, "Dwayne, I can see that you need some relaxation as well. Would you like to share a bath with me?"
Dwayne's eyes widened in surprise as Megumi laughed. Megumi smiled, "Don't worry, Japanese people do it all of the time and I have a lot of Japanese in me."
PD asked, "What are you trying to do?"
Megumi answered with a meek expression, "Nothing, I'm just teaching Dwayne a bit about Japanese culture. After all, he needs to learn some of this if he is going to live in Japan."
DP asked, "Dwayne, do you want to share a bath with her?"
Dwayne had read up about the bathing procedures in Japan. He trusted that nothing would be that inappropriate with Megumi. Hell, he could see how attractive she was.
Megumi said, "I'll be in a towel, what's wrong with you, PD?"
PD knew all about the bath-sharing trick. He wasn't that much older than Dwayne when they soaked together after a long battle against the forces of evil. She was prim and proper until she dropped the towel in front of him. Of course, he took advantage of this but he didn't want Dwayne to mess with Megumi while he was engaged to another woman.
Dwayne shrugged, "Fine with me. I assume you have separate rooms for us to wash up before we get into the bath."
"Of course."
DP said, "Okay, we need to get out of here then." DP gently pushed PD out of the room.
Dwayne said, "Okay, what's the deal with you and PD?"
"I'll answer you when we get into the bath."
"Lead the way." The duo left the dojo to go to the bath.
PD snarled at DP, "Why did you do that?
DP answered, "Because I trust Dwayne to stop her if she gets out of line."
PD whined, "He's a good kid, but he can't resist her."
"Yes, he can. We're not his parents."
"Yeah, but we're the older members of this party. It's our job to make sure that Dwayne and Tammy come back relatively normal."
"Yes, but we shouldn't worry about it. Have faith in him. We can't protect him from everything, you know."
PD grumbled, "Okay, so let's go pay some poker with Mai. She ought to be done massaging Tammy and Angela."
DP smiled, "You want to lose more money to her. Hell, the money she's taken from you over the years has directly paid for her granddaughter's college education."
"Shut up! You're not so clean either."
"True, but I can always say that I didn't lose 100,000 dollars to her." PD and DP went in search of Mai.
Dwayne stood over the standing faucet in the men's room. He scrubbed himself three times, following the First Commandment of Japanese bathing. The First Commandment is to wash thyself fully at least twice since the Japanese are sticklers for cleanliness. The Second Commandment is to rinse yourself of all suds before entering the bath. After doing that, Dwayne thought about the third commandment. The Third Commandment was not to stand up immodestly while washing. He wasn't bathing with other men, so that wasn't a problem. He definitely didn't want to show off to other guys or in this case, his attractive future boss. Dwayne wrapped a towel around his waist and walked to the bath.
The bath was large and circular with stone tigers depositing the water from their mouths. Megumi had her eyes closed as she heard Dwayne's footsteps.
Megumi opened her eyes and smiled. She patted a space beside her in the water and said, "Come sit by me."
Dwayne stepped into the warm water and felt the water calm down his aching joints. "Relaxing, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is Megumi. I needed that after the match."
"It wasn't a picnic for me. You made me feel older than 24 with this fight."
Dwayne smirked and asked, "So what's the deal with you and PD?"
Megumi sighed, "We used to be lovers."
"Wow, and you two still work together?"
"Yes, we do. I love this job."
Dwayne looked at her in puzzlement as he asked, "Isn't it strange to work with an ex-boyfriend?"
"It can be, but it helps that I don't see him that much. They only visit Japan 3 times a year."
"Oh, so what happened to break you two up?" A dark look crossed Megumi's delicate face as she replied, "Two things, my family and his reluctance to go against them."
"Elaborate, Megumi."
"My family didn't approve of our pairing. PD was and still is, a bit too unconventional for their tastes. My family has a long and storied history in Japanese annals. They were afraid that he would bring shame to the Arigami name. PD didn't want to deal with a prolonged struggle. So we ended the relationship."
Dwayne sighed, "That sucks, but couldn't he try and overcome your family's objections?"
"He could've, but at the time he wasn't as determined as he is now."
"Well, he's still single. Do you want to get back with him?"
"I did, but too mach has passed between us to salvage our relationship. In fact, we had a discussion today that pretty much put the final nail in the coffin. We both said mean things to each other."
"Man, I hope that Tammy and I don't end up like that." Dwayne stretched, trying to get some of the pain off of him.
Megumi looked at him and said, "Would you mind if I gave you a massage?"
Dwayne answered, "Could you massage my shoulders?"
"With pleasure."
Dwayne moved out a bit in the water so Megumi could massage his shoulders. Dwayne sighed in contentment as her fingers melted away the pain. Megumi thought that Dwayne was a more polished version of PD when he was 18. She knew that Dwayne was engaged to Tammy, but they weren't at the altar yet.
Megumi whispered, "Turn around." Dwayne turned around to face Megumi. He looked into her golden eyes and her delicate face. It was really sad that she hadn't found someone to be with her. He could see the curves of her body, towel or no towel. If he weren't with Tammy, there would be no question Megumi would jump to the top of the list. Megumi kissed him softly on the lips. Dwayne was so startled that he couldn't say anything.
Megumi touched his lips with a finger and said, "I know you're engaged but I couldn't help myself. You're a good guy and I was tempted to do a lot more than that kiss. If you and Tammy don't work out, I'll be there for you." Megumi stepped out of the bath and walked away.
Dwayne stood in the bath, shocked by what just occurred. The damning thing about it was that he enjoyed the kiss. Her lips were so soft it was like kissing a fluffy pillow. He could easily see himself with her. Dwayne shook his head and said, "I love Tammy, dammit." Dwayne stepped out of the bath and put on a robe. He left the bath and walked back to his room with Tammy, his mind swirling in confusion.
Kamal sat in the corner of a popular Tokyo nightclub. Storm had managed to convince him to go with him to a club. Kamal wasn't much of a club hopper, but to pacify his partner he decided to accompany him. He watched all of the young people gyrate like their bodies were on fire. In his opinion, the disco era was the apex of popular culture. John Travolta could style and profile in a white leisure suit like no one else. He looked at Storm, drinking some whiskey with 4 beautiful Japanese girls clustering around him in a booth. It never failed to amaze him to see how he managed to get with all of these women. Sometimes, he didn't even need to throw down with the local hooker. Apparently, some women liked to be abused. Kamal's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Malcolm and Willie enter the club.
Malcolm was in a good mood. He and Willie visited a hot springs earlier in the day to relax. Malcolm believed that they were destined to succeed this time. Willie's thoughts were to get in the pants of a hot Japanese woman. Although beating the living crap out of Dwayne was never far from his thoughts. Malcolm tapped Dwayne on his shoulder and motioned toward Storm. Both men nodded and ran up to Storm.
Storm was blissfully unaware of the imminent danger until Willie punched him in the face. The woman around Storm scattered like the club was on fire. Malcolm used Willie as a springboard to dropkick Storm in the face. The combined assault sent Storm sprawling to the floor. Willie and Malcolm started to viciously kick Storm in his ribs. Kamal ran up to Willie and turned him around. Kamal cracked him in the jaw with a left cross, followed by a punch to the stomach. Kamal picked Willie up and threw him through a nearby glass booth. Willie lay on a table, unconscious. Malcolm saw his friend fly through a pane of glass and stopped kicking Storm. Malcolm growled and jumped on Kamal, pummeling him with fists and feet of rage.
Storm got up and pulled Malcolm off of Kamal. Both men nodded and punched Malcolm in the stomach. Malcolm grunted as Storm held him up so Kamal could hit him. Kamal blasted Malcolm in the face with a kick. Storm picked up Malcolm and threw him through a table. The table broke in half, as Malcolm lay on the floor motionless. Both men smirked and touched fists in triumph. They didn't see two police officers come up from behind and bash them over the head with nightsticks. Both men crumpled to the floor. The police officers took all of the combatants away.
All of our heroes were asleep by this point in the day. Dwayne was tossing and turning in the futon, having disturbing dreams of he and Megumi locked in passion. Tammy couldn't feel any of this since she was dead to the world. PD was dreaming about a sweet memory between he and Megumi in which they ate a romantic dinner at the Japan Tower. DP was dreaming about his girlfriend Alice. Angela didn't dream about anything. She just slept the sleep of the content. Megumi was dreaming about Dwayne and all of the things she would do to him if he had a chance.
A ghost stepped through the walls of Megumi's home. The ghost had the visage of a young, slim samurai warrior with cold black eyes and a tall frame.
His sword and black armor gleamed as he said, "These are the people that must face me."
He closed his eyes and chanted, "In the name of the Kao Belt, send these men and women to my place."
PD, DP, Angela, Megumi, Tammy, and Dwayne all disappeared from their futons to appear where the samurai ghost wanted them to be. The samurai said, "Next up, the police station."
He snapped his fingers and appeared in the police station holding cells.
He looked at the sleeping figures of Dwayne, Willie, Malcolm, and Storm.
Shaking his head, he murmured, "What a group these people are. Damn the fates."
The samurai sighed, "In the name of the Kao Belt, send these men and women to my place."
The four men disappeared to appear in the samurai's lair. The warrior smirked, "It's time." He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a sliver of light.
All ten men and women appeared in a cage in a cave.
Megumi asked, "Where the hell are we?"
Storm smirked, "I don't know, but looking at you made my night."
Megumi snarled, "Shut up, before I kick your ass."
"By all means, submit to the greatness of the Storm."
Angela scoffed, "Please, don't lie about the greatness shit to her."
"You didn't mind, Angela."
Angela ran to get at Storm, but Dwayne held her back. Dwayne said, "Fighting with them doesn't do anything right now."
Malcolm remarked, "Right you are."
Willie said, "Wait a minute, where's Big Money and Silk?"
The samurai appeared before them and said, "Now, now. Mr. Wayne. Why don't you take a guess?"
Willie looked at Dwayne and Tammy and said, "No way." Dwayne sighed and said, "GHETTO!" Dwayne transformed into Big Money. Silk followed suit and transformed into Silk. Malcolm's eyes grew wide and he immediately looked at Willie.
Willie looked back and said, "What?" Malcolm immediately started to beat the living crap out of Willie. He was angry that his friend sired his worst enemy.
After he was exhausted, Willie said, "You're real lucky that I know just how much you hate him or they would be hell to pay for smacking me around like that."
Big Money just looked at his dad and quipped, "Good job, dad of mine."
"Shut up!"
"Make me."
Megumi yelled, "ENOUGH!"
The samurai ghost said, "You're correct, Ms. Arigami. I'll just get right to the point. The reason all of you are here is because I have the Kao Belt fragment."
The samurai pulled out the fragment to show the masses. "My name is Daisuke Hirosue."
Megumi's eyes widened, "The great samurai warrior?"
"That is correct, my family has been charged with the caretaking of this particular fragment for thousands of years. The deal is simple. I need to finally rest in peace and the best way for me to do that is for one of you from each of your group to beat me."
Kamal looked at him and remarked, "You don't look so tough."
Daisuke looked at Kamal and said, "Big words, Kamal Davis. I'm not finished yet. I get to pick who fights me. No second chances either, you beat me and you get to leave with this. You lose and it's just too damn bad. Oh and we fight in a sword duel."
PD said, "Okay, but you're dead. How are we supposed to know that we beat you?"
Daisuke closed his eyes and he suddenly solidified. Dwayne said, "Neat trick, so would our representative kill you in your new body there?"
"Nope, just wound me. As you say, I can't be killed since I'm already dead."
DP said, "Just peachy."
Daisuke answered dryly, "It is, PD. And as to how I know all of you, let's just say the spirits told me you would be here."
Daisuke looked at the group assembled in front of him. The samurai quickly decided who would be the best candidates.
Daisuke opened the cage and said, "Kamal Davis, step forth and grab your destiny."
Kamal walked out of the cage and crowed, "You got that right, samurai boy!"
Storm cried out, "Go fuck him up, Kamal!"
Angela retorted, "More like Daisuke going to be the one to fuck him up."
"Shut your mouth, bitch."
Silk hissed, "You're cruising for an ass-whooping, aren't you?"
Storm smirked, "I'd love to get in your ass, Silk, a.k.a. Tammy. Besides, Big Money can tell me all about it." Big Money snarled and lunged at Storm. Megumi and PD held him back.
Megumi said, "He's not worth it right now." Big Money calmed down and sat back down beside Silk and Megumi.
Daisuke snapped his fingers. Both men appeared in an elevated platform away from the cage with katana in hand. Kamal looked down and thought that he hated tall places.
Daisuke looked at Kamal and said, "C'mon, I'm ready to go when you are."
Kamal closed his eyes and focused on calming himself down. "I'm ready, you whelp."
Daisuke smirked and brought down his blade at his head. Kamal blocked the slice and countered with a slice to Daisuke's side. Daisuke blocked the strike and summoned an extra level of strength to try and overpower Kamal. He wanted to beat him as quickly as possibly. Daisuke yelled and started to attack harder. Kamal was fighting off the strikes, but it was taking all of his skill and guile to survive. Kamal knew that he couldn't beat him in a straight up fight, so he decided to grab a palmful of dirt and blind Daisuke. Kamal grabbed the dirt and threw it in his face. The dirt temporarily blinded Daisuke, giving him the opportunity he needed. Kamal wasn't fast enough as Daisuke regained his vision. He caught Kamal in the side with his sword as he ran out at him. Kamal groaned as he saw his blood stain the ground.
Daisuke said, "Nice try, but not good enough."
Daisuke snapped his fingers and the sword disappeared. His wound was healed up as he put Kamal back into the cage.
Big Money drawled, "Good job, Kamal."
"Shut the fuck up, you little nugget!"
Silk commented, "I'll give you credit for coming up with a pretty good retort, but you still lost."
Daisuke said, "As your parting gift, you get to go back where you were located." Daisuke
waved as the two men disappeared to go back to their hotel room.
Daisuke stated, "Malcolm-Jamal Helmsley, it's your turn to try and fulfill your destiny."
Malcolm walked out of the cage opening and growled, "Damn right it is."
Willie said, "It's all you."
Big Money said, "Dad, how can you be so supportive of someone who beat you like that?"
"Because he's my friend, which is more than I can so for you. I hate looking at you. You think you have it made with the fiancée and the job. Oh and I can see that you like that cute girl
over there."
"She's a friend, nothing more."
"Yeah, that's what your saying now. I can tell that you did something with her tonight."
Silk growled, "Stop your lies. He would never do anything to hurt me."
Willie said, "Yes, but he'll hurt you all the same. I know about that all too well with his mother." A look of pain flashed on Willie's features as he said, "But when I get the chance, I'll rectify the situation."
Big Money couldn't believe that he could see his shame about kissing Megumi. Big Money replied, "Killing me won't bring her back."
"Doesn't matter, it'll make me feel better."
"That's crazy, the doctors told you she died of a heart attack."
"Yes, caused by your constant clinginess to her." Exasperated, Big Money replied, "What do you expect? I was just a kid then."
"Boy, when I was that age I was helping my dad on the farm."
"Good for you, but we didn't live on a farm. The days of legalized child abuse was over a long time ago."
"Fuck you! You would've turned out better."
PD chimed in, "Your son has turned out to be a fine young man. Hell, he's a better son than you deserve. Any parent would be proud to have his son be as successful as he is right now."
DP took up the call, "C'mon, he's going to end up in the upper tax bracket before he graduates. He's going to marry one of the most beautiful women in the world. He's gotten to see more than New Wales. This vendetta of yours is wrong."
Willie snarled, "Both of you can kiss my ass. I will have my vengeance on him."
Big Money asked, "How is that going to make mom feel better? Killing me won't make her a happy camper. If anything, that would piss her off."
"I want to kill you because you caused her to die, doctors be damned. You took away the one true piece of happiness that I've ever had in my life."
Big Money sighed, saddened that he couldn't get through to him, "Your "friend" is about to fight."
Daisuke smirked at Malcolm, believing that this would be a quick win. Malcolm didn't look too confident in his chances. Malcolm was scared to death of this ghost. It reminded him of all of the crap they went through in that mansion in England. He still got chills thinking about the goblins, ghosts, and werewolves that roamed that place.
Willie looked at him and groaned, "Damn, he's thinking about that mansion."
Megumi smirked, "Some champion he is. Look at that." Willie groaned as Malcolm dropped the sword and forfeited.
Malcolm appeared in the cage and Willie immediately beat up Malcolm in anger. "You coward!" spat out Willie.
Daisuke sighed and said, "C'mon, I can't believe how gutless he was. Get out of my sight." The duo disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Daisuke looked at Megumi and said, "Come, Megumi Arigami. Let's see if you truly deserve to be called The White Tsunami."
Megumi said, "You're damn right I do. Let's play."
The cage opened up and Megumi strode out of the cage. Megumi was confident in her ability. She sure as hell wasn't going to go down like a chump. The two appeared on the platform.
Daisuke grinned and said, "A true test. I can see that you're going to give me all you've got."
"That's right. You should be glad that I'm going to defeat you. After all, you get to rest after I beat you."
"True, but you have to beat me first."
Daisuke rushed out at Megumi, slashing at her. Megumi blocked and returned the attack. Sparks flew in the air as the swords connected in their duel.
Big Money watched this and prayed that she would succeed. If not, the whole world would be in jeopardy. Besides, he wanted her to live so he could figure out just what to do. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her very strongly. Apparently his dad could see that and he barely met her. Life had to be complicated. PD thought about how it would suck if she didn't get the fragment. Her spirit would be crushed. He still cared for her despite all of the harsh things he said to her. He figured that a little bit of Megumi cared for him too. DP and Angela just wanted Megumi to win so they could get the fragment. All of the other crap talked about was secondary.
Daisuke was very tired as he took stock of his opponent. She would have fit in perfectly in the feudal era of Japan. Whoever ended up with her was going to be an extremely lucky man. He needed to end this now. It really benefited him more to lose, but he couldn't throw the fight like that. It would be a disservice to both of them. Megumi's thoughts were that this guy earned his place in Japanese history. She knew all about it. Daisuke died in the early 1900s defending his family's land from marauding bandits. When she beat him, this would definitely be a story to tell to the grandkids. Both stood in front of each other and charged at each other in the classic samurai duel. When the dust cleared, Megumi stood with her sword in the air and Daisuke stood on the ground clutching his side.
Daisuke smiled and remarked, "You are a true warrior, Megumi Arigami." He got up and said, "Did I clip you at least."
Megumi showed him the slice in her side. "You got me, but I was just a bit faster." "That you were and as I promised, here is the fragment." Daisuke handed her the fragment and Megumi raised it up in the air in triumph. Her friends in the cage cheered.
Daisuke said, "One special benefit of beating me is that you can call on me whenever you need anything."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, nobody's beating me in the last 800 years of so. It's only fair."
"Cool."
"Very cool, although there is one thing I need to tell you."
"What's that?"
"Watch yourself in this love with young Wayne."
"I will. Out of curiosity, what would've happened if I didn't get the fragment?"
"Well, you wouldn't have gotten another chance and later some new challengers would have the privilege of fighting me."
"Oh, well at least the bad guys wouldn't have got it."
"For now, but there will always be someone looking for this power."
"Great, so now that we've got that taken care of can we go home now."
Daisuke smiled and said, "Of course you may. Tell your friends I wish them well on the rest of their journey."
Megumi's smile dazzled as she said, "I will." Daisuke snapped his fingers and the group returned to Megumi's house.
Daisuke said quietly, "I'm at peace now." Daisuke Hirosue disappeared in a flash of white light.
The group returned to the house. Silk and Big Money were now Tammy and Dwayne.
Tammy exulted, "You were awesome."
Megumi smirked, "I know." PD, Dwayne, DP, and Angela all said their thanks to her.
Tammy said, "I'm going to bed, aren't you tired Dwayne?"
Dwayne said, "No, I'm fine."
PD, DP, and Angela all decided to follow Tammy's example and go to sleep.
Dwayne said, "I'm glad you won. So what happens now?"
Megumi shrugged, "You know how I feel."
Megumi hugged Dwayne and whispered, "I'll be here for you. Remember that."
Dwayne said, "But I love Tammy. I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me if you marry her. One thing I know for sure is that life has many twists and turns in the road. You can't be certain that you'll stay with her. Hell, you can't be certain a relationship with me would be stable. But you just have to take the turns as they go."
Megumi kissed Dwayne on the cheek and walked to her room. Dwayne stood in the hallway and said quietly, "She's right. I don't know whether to damn her or thank her for just being so damn sexy." Dwayne went to his room to get Megumi out of his mind.
End Ch. 15
Author's Notes
This is going to be a long one. First off, Megumi's name was thought up thus. I thought of Megumi Morisato of Oh My Goddess anime fame and her last name of Arigami is my little tribute to Jim Bader's fanfic series, Nabiki 1/2. One of the main characters in there is named Keiko Arigami. I liked Keiko because she was brash and arrogant, but she could still remain cheerful in spite of all the stuff that happened to her. I think that Megumi has some of those qualities in there as far as the brashness goes. Just to plug, if you like a long alternate universe Ranma epic that mixes in people from Street Fighter, MIB, Darkstalkers, Oh My Goddess, Greek Gods, and Vampire Princess Miyu go read Nabiki 1/2. (And no, Mr. Bader isn't paying me for this. Just a fan) I think this chapter is probably the best thing I've written. I had a lot of fun typing this one up. I didn't think that Megumi and DP would play such a big role in the chapter. This chapter also set up stuff for the sequel to this series. I was having trouble thinking of where they would go after graduation. That is all and in parting I wish you
Peace, love, and hair grease
Showstopper