Gasaraki Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Project Mile Two ❯ Blood work ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 5


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At the hospital lab, a technician puzzled of the results of a full blood test. Calling his supervisor over to look at the source of his boggle. "I have no idea what that is," the technician pointed at the mysterious protein structure. "The rest of the sample is fine, aside from the huge amounts of adrenaline, of course."

"I've never seen anything like it before. I think it's time to call in a favour at Gowa central labs. We'll let them take a look at it."

"Can we do that? Won't we get into trouble?"

"I'm in charge here, you just look at a cute nurse when they come to pick up the sample and the data we got."

"Can do boss," the technician mock saluted.

The supervisor smiled and pulled out a mobile phone and dialed. "Yeah, I've got something for you guys to look at. It's really strange."


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The next morning, Ranma was checked out of the hospital by Nodoka. She told him that he was coming home with her. What was the deciding factor was Ranma's improved condition: he was up and moving around after only a few days. Both of them promising that they would go straight to a doctor should Ranma's health start to decline.

"So son, what do you think of the Tendo girls?"

"Why?"

"I know how you feel about Ukyo," Nodoka stated sagely. "I just want to see if there's anybody in Nerima that you cared about enough to want to date. Maybe the one of the Tendo girls."

"Well, Kasumi's nice enough. But she's given so much up that I just feel she deserves someone better then me. I mean I can't even teach the Art anymore. And I don't know anything else."

"Hmm, and Nabiki?"

Ranma thought long and hard about his former fiancee. "I don't know, mom. I mean when she was engaged to me, she didn't exactly treat me with the upmost respect." Seeing his mother's face darken, he added a qualifier. "But it wasn't like Akane - she acted more like a manager than someone I was going to get married to."

"Well you don't have to marry anyone just yet. Tomorrow, we're going to Furinken to change your details there. But I would like grandchildren at some point," she finished with a smile.

Ranma merely blushed lightly in reponse.


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Nodoka invited the Tendo daughters to the Saotome house for tea and to judge their suitability for Ranma. Akane declined due to prior commitments but refused to say what they were, but her sisters accepted without hesitation.

All were enjoying afternoon tea with some snacks whipped up by Kasumi and Nodoka. Eventually the converstation turned from an informal interview of the Tendo girls to Ranma enquiring about his previously unknown family.

"So mom, what's your family like?"

"Well, son, I'm from an old family. My father was a general in the Self Defence Force. his brother was a business man." Nodoka answered sipping from her tea. "He ran the family business."

"Where are your family based, auntie Nodoka?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki looked on thinking 'something is not sitting right here.'

"In Gowa City. Though I haven't seen some of my family for some time, I do hope that I can take Ranma to see them."

"Why?" Nabiki asked, getting the feeling that Genma had something do with it.

Nodoka looked uncomfortable as she tried to word her response, "shall we say they didn't exactly approve of my choice of husband."

Nabiki and Kasumi nodded in understanding.

"So what's your family name, auntie Nodoka?" Nabiki asked before taking a sip of tea.

"Gowa."

*PFFT* Nabiki managed to spray Ranma from the other side of the table.

After a moment to compose herself, Nabiki spoke, " sorry about that Ranma. Did you say Gowa? As in Gowa Digital Systems?"

"Yes Nabiki, those Gowas." Nodoka handed Ranma a towel. 'I wonder if Nabiki has figured it out yet?'

"What does that mean? I've never heard of them." Ranma's life on the road was making itself known.

"Ranma, they build computers and the like," Nabiki informed her former house-guest. "They're part of a big company. Kasumi, I think we'd better be getting back now."

"Oh my, yes we have be going now. Thank you for your hospitality, auntie." Kasumi bowed to Nodoka.


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The courrier arriving at Gowa's central lab complex with the blood sample and data from the hospital was quickly ushered inside.

The duty manager called Kiyotsugu in. "Well, what do you make of this?"

A complex molecule's gas chromatograph analysis was being displayed on the main monitor. It was the same one that stumped the hospital technician.

"Where did this come from?"

"The hospital in Nerima. According to the note my contact sent, it's from a Ranma Saotome. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Yes. Compare that molecule to the sample from Kinashi and compound D." Pulling out his phone, he speed dialled his brother. "Kiyoharu, sorry about this, but I need you to Ranma here in the lab for testing, I don't care what you have to do - beg, bribe or kidnap him, I want to do some tests."

*Why?*

"He might just be the key to the next stage in TA development. We got a sample from his blood, it's something interesting in it."

*I'll do what I can. Expect to hear from me later today.* Kiyoharu hung up.


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On the way back to the Tendo house, Kasumi and Nabiki walked in silence.

Nabiki was in a quandry. She had blackmailed, extorted, pimped out and generally made life unpleasant for some who had links to one of the most powerful families in Japan. The Kuno family was rich and had an old samurai history, but the Gowa clan: people said it went back to when Nara was the capitol city.


Kasumi was also having troubled thoughts, only she was thinking about her youngest sister's treatment of Ranma. 'Was Akane really the best choice for Ranma?'

"Kasumi, we need to talk. Can you spare a few minutes?"

"Yes we do. Do you think that the budget can stretch for take-out for tonight? I don't feel like cooking."

"I think that we can afford it."

"That's good to hear. Now, where shall we talk?"

"My room, if you'll bring the tea, I can find something for us to snack on."


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"So then Nabiki, what do you want to talk about?"

"It's about Ranma, sis. What are am I going to do? I've done very litle to make his life here pleasant. I've blackmailed him, sold photos of him to the Kunos. I've rented him out to his fiancees, sold him out to his rivals." She sighed, "I've played him like a 100 yen flute."

"You're worried that if his family hears about the things you've done, your life could be ruined."

Nabiki nodded. "What about you?"

"I was thinking about Ranma, were we right to press-gang Akane into the engagement? He's not perfect, but is he really the idiotic, perverted thug Akane makes him out to be?"

"Well the curse scared me off at first. I thought that if we engaged him to Akane, then we would have some breathing room to figure a way out of the mess." Nabiki nibbled on some strawberry pocky. "But then, you know he made our lives just so much more interesting. And yes, there was also the money I made off him."

"I know what you mean, but he did always help us when we needed it, remember the Chardin affair?"

Nabiki shuddered. "Yeah, I was grateful for his curse then. I guess that I would miss the jerk if he left us."

"Me too. Do you think that you could have the life his mother suggested?"

Nabiki stopped in mid-munch. "I still think I've ruined any chance of a long term relationship with him, but if I get the chance, I'll give it a go. How about Akane?"

"I don't know, how can we find out if she genuinely likes him?"

"Kasumi, are you sure that Ranma likes Akane the best?"

"Yes. Simply because through thick and thin, he's been there for our sister. He never cheated on her, despite all of the ample opportunities he's had. And those girls had more going for them then she did."

Nabiki nodded in inderstanding. "Probably because she wanted to be his friend when he arrived. We need to talk with Akane and find out once and for all how she feels."


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Akane was out window shopping with her friends when Ryoga stumbled by.

"Akane! I'm in Nerima?"

"Yes, Ryoga-kun," Akane giggled.

"W-w-would you like to go for some tea or something?" Ryoga stammered, blushing.

"Yeah, let's go here," she pointed to the shop a few metres up the road. Bidding her friends farewell, Akane lead Ryoga to the tea shop.

One of Nabiki's little helpers saw this and reported back to her boss.



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To be continued...