Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Grand Theft Auto: Nerima ❯ Welcome To The Jungle ( Chapter 1 )

Welcome To The Jungle


In two years a place can change a lot while you're gone. A clear blue sky can turn into a smog-infested cloud and the sun can be replaced with neon lights advertising cheap sex. Things had gone bad two years back and it was all Ranma's fault. Instead of dealing with his problems, he ran away to a place where the people wouldn't judge him for what he'd done. To a place where no one knew him. A place where honor was overrated. Behind he left Akane, and every one else that was once important to him, but after he got some news about Akane, he had to come back and he wasn't expecting a warm welcome. He stepped out of the taxi in front of what used to be the Tendo Dojo, and pushed the gate open. Every thing was run-down and the building was half burnt to the ground. It was obviously vacant, but he let himself in anyways for a look around, but as he did all the old memories came back to him. He sat on the floor in the now empty dinning room staring out at the dried up koi pond now remembering every last word said that night. It haunted him in a sense, but he had buried the past once already, so it wouldn't be hard a second time.

Every one was just going about their lives as normal that day. Kasumi was cleaning, Nabiki studying, Soun and Genma playing shogi. It was nothing new and Ranma was probably going to be hit by Akane pretty soon, but something much bigger happened. They had a visitor dressed in a black suit asking for Mr. Tendo and when he came to the door, he had a look of fright on his face. The guy in the suit pushed him up against a wall and put a gun to his head, asking when he was going to return to money he had owed. When Soun said, “You promised you wouldn't come here!” things started clicking in. It was no secret that Soun had a gambling problem and in turn, it was the reason why Nabiki conned so many people out of their money. She was buying groceries with it. The truth was revealed that day and every thing went downhill from that. When you find out that your father gambled away your education fund and drank away his sorrows, one tends to lose faith in him. Akane did so and cried that night, it was too much for Ranma, and just when he shouldn't have stuck his nose in other people's business, he went to go solve the problem alone.

Like the dumb kid he was, he busted into the office Soun had gotten a loan from and started trashing the place. He knocked out guards that got a good look at him first hand, and he was all over the surveillance system. If that wasn't bad enough he left a note on the wall telling them to leave the Tendo family alone. What Ranma didn't realize was that he was now playing with the local mob based out of a place called Liberty City in the U.S. When word reached the head honcho that his new setup in Nemira was going under already and because of a kid no less, he became both angry and embarrassed. Two weeks went by along with Ranma feeling his victory assured and solving the family problems on his own. It wasn't until he got home after school one day, that the fire department was parked outside the Tendo Dojo. The flames had been put out, but the smoke still rose from the burnt out shell. He panicked when he saw Kasumi on a gurney with a mask and bandage over her face, being put into the back of an ambulance. Soun was pushed out of the back of it as he wailed and fell to his knees. Akane held onto Ranma tight as she stared at the house with him. He had to ask what happened, and the response wasn't pretty. As it turned out, those people Soun had borrowed money from, had grown a little impatient and angry with him.

Another week went by as the guilt built up in him. They were all living in a small apartment, while Genma had the spill the bean about the curse to his wife. It was a real train wreck week and it didn't seem like it was letting up any time soon. He was scared now, because he knew that they were after him. Towards the end of the week he got a call from Shampoo screaming at him, calling his all sorts of things in broken speech. He listened on as the phone was grabbed from her and Cologne came on the line. She was frantic as well, but at least understandable. She had just been tossed out of her restaurant at gunpoint, with the words, “You can thank Ranma Soatome for this.” to go by. Within the same day the Kuno fortune was taken straight from the vault at the bank leaving some prince and princess now poppers. It didn't let up even then. Another phone call came in for Ranma and it was Ukyo at the police station. There was a ton of drugs found in her shop and she was being framed for drug trafficking. It was becoming clear that people weren't asking question, and cops were doing things they should be preventing. Another three days went on with all eyes on him and in that time, Kasumi had flat-lined once in the hospital, but was able to be revived in time. Things were getting out of hand, no one trusted any one any more, and it now all centered on Ranma and his horrible gut decision. On the third day, he was run out of town by every body, including his mother and fiancé.

He ended up running to Kyoto, where he laid low for a while, but after some time he needed to work, and when he did, he worked as some dumb muscle for the wrong people, who taught him all the wrong things. Two years later, there was a knock on his apartment door and to his surprise; it was the one person, seemingly unaffected by his actions. Ryouga Hibiki. He answered the door a bit scruffy and unshowered with a white tank top and yesterdays jeans on. He skipped the formalities and gave Ryouga a lazy look. “What do you want?”

Ryouga answered by pulling back his fist and hitting Ranma square in the nose. He flew back, hit the ground and knocked over the table. He sat up and wiped the blood from his face as he stared up at Ryouga. “I take it you're mad at me.”

Ryouga cracked his knuckles and walked in, closing the door behind him. “I've always been mad at you, Ranma. It took me forever to find you, you know?”

Ranma pulled himself up and leaned against the wall. “Yeah what else is new? I hope hitting me wasn't the only reason you came.”

“That was only half the reason I came. I'm here to tell you something.”

“You could have called.”

“You think I'm stupid? I checked for that. You don't have a phone.”

Ranma crossed his arms and tilted his head. “I guess that's why mom never calls.”

“You don't have to be a smart ass, she's worried about you.”

“I'm sure she is, now what did you come here to tell me?”

Ryouga looked down with a look of shame in his eyes. “It's about Akane…” Ranma opened his ears and waited for it. “She's gone missing…”

Ranma's eye twitched and his face became angry. “…Is she dead?”

Ryouga shook his head and sat on a milk crate Ranma had set up as a chair. “I'm not sure… I've been looking for her for a month now, but… Look, I'm really worried about her… You probably don't care any more, but I need help finding her…”

Ranma just kept an eye on him from his wall and said, “Last I heard, you two were going out… You wasted no time as soon as I was gone, did you?”

Ryouga got up and pointed a finger at Ranma. “You shut the hell up! You don't know anything do you!?”

“Look, as far as I see it, things are over between us. I couldn't be there for her when she needed me and I still can't be there for her. What the fuck do you want me to do here? I know I fucked every thing up; I can't change that no matter what I do. She's your girl now, so you take care of her.”

Ryouga waited as he did his best to calm down. “She isn't my girl anymore…”

“Doesn't change a thing.”

“Are you really this big of an idiot Ranma!? You know why I lost her!? It's because she wanted you! You! You! You! I was the one there for her! I was the one to see her through it! You ran away! But she still wanted you!”

Ranma looked down and twitched his face. “Why the hell would she want me? What's wrong with you?”

Ryouga took a deep breath and looked ready to cry. “…I cheated on her…”

Ranma raised his eyebrows. “And you think `I'm' an idiot?”

“God damnit Ranma… Don't you even realize what happened?”

“I'm not one for current events these days. I just do what I need to do to get by.”

“Those thugs… Those guys that burned the house down… They took over the town. They built factories, started pushing drugs on the streets, brought in prostitutes, the whole nine yards. The place is an absolute mess… It's not the Nerima you remember…”

“And what do you what me to do about it? Huh? I can't change that, I'm just one guy.”

“You're misunderstanding Ranma… I'm saying that it's not safe for her there. I need help finding her, but I just can't on my own. I don't give two shits about that town and I never did, it was the people that lived there I loved. Akane's missing, there's junkies and dealers on every street corner and every one we know can't get out of there on their own. I hate you more then anything in this world, so I wouldn't be here now if I wasn't desperate. Just help me will ya!?”

Ranma stood in silence for a few moments before uncrossing his arms and grabbing his jean jacket. “Fine. You win, but as soon as we find Akane, I'm out of there and out of her life for good.”

Ryouga stood up and followed Ranma out the door. “Fine by me.”


Ryouga followed Ranma to the bottom floor of the building and into a parking lot. He walked over to a taxi parked in a stall and opened the door. He unlocked the passenger side and let Ryouga in. “You drive a taxi?”

“No.”

Ryouga was about to say something but then he noticed Ranma fiddling with a knife under the steering wheel. “Then whose car is this?”

“Not sure.” The car fired up and Ranma started backing up.

Ryouga looked at him with a shocked expression. “Are we stealing a car!?”

“That's the idea.”

“What ever happened to honor!?”

Ranma shrugged his shoulders as he turned out onto the road. “I don't give a rats ass about honor any more. It's just not my thing.”

“I do!”

“Then look at it this way. I stole the car and you're my hostage.”

“But-!”

Ranma ignored him by turning up the stereo while turning off onto the highway and flooring it. Ryouga couldn't help but look around nervously for cops that may either be following or coming.


Ryouga walked up behind Ranma and looked out into the back yard with him. After staring off into the light blanket of poisons' fog Ranma had to ask. “So, where is every body? How many of them have left?”

Ryouga sighed as he picked up a broken clock and gave it a shake to see if it still worked. “Every one's still here. They're all scattered around the town, living on their own for the most part.”

Ranma looked up at a picture that survived the fire and these past two years. It was from when they had met Prince Toma on that floating island, with pretty much every one he used to know on there. He couldn't help but think how easy life was back then. “Even the Amazons?”

Ryouga nodded as he stuck he hands in his pockets and kicked some dirt on the floor. “Yup. They couldn't get out of here in time. For some people this city is like a prison, if you're seen as a threat or a liability then they keep an eye on you and hold you in so you don't do anything foolish. There are a lot of bad guys out there now. It's not like back then when we could fight with our fists and come out with scraped knees. I put away that umbrella a while ago and replaced it with a gun… I don't think I'll ever fire it, but around here it's the only way you can get some respect. The sooner we get Akane out of here, the sooner I can leave and rest easy.”

“Who'd you cheat on her with?”

Ryouga got a scowl on his face as he decided whether or not to tell him. “…Ukyo.”

“Figures.”

“ What's that suppose to mean!?”

“It just means I saw it coming. Anyways, who have you asked about Akane and where are they?”

Ryouga scratched his head and thought back. “I asked Mr. Tendo and Kasumi in the downtown apartment blocks, but I don't know where Nabiki is, she may have found a way out and ditched every one. The Amazons got muscled down to the poor end of town, but they haven't heard from her in a while either.”

“My parents?”

“They're in the same apartment block as Mr. Tendo, but it's hard to talk to them. They usually don't answer the door.” Ranma sat in silence for a few moments before Ryouga asked him. “You want to see them don't you?”

Ranma nodded with lazy eyes. “It would be nice, but the real question is, would they want to see me?”

“Your mom misses you a lot, your dad thinks you're a disgrace.”

“I don't exactly care what he thinks, in truth I'd rather take a baseball bat to his face before even thinking about talking to him.”

“Yeah, I kinda guessed so. Got any ideas where to find Akane?”

Ranma crossed his arms and got up. “Haven't got a clue, but I might know some one who would.”

Ranma walked out the door with Ryouga behind him. “Who?”

They both opened the doors to the stolen cab and got in. “His name is Paul. The slimiest fucker you'll ever meet. He's been all over the place and now he's here teaching English or something to get out of tax fraud in the U.S.”

“Why would he know anything about Akane?”

“Not so much Akane, but this shit hole of a city. Every where he's ever gone he's managed to shove his nose so far up the cities ass that when he sneezes, a mass combination of shit and crack comes flying out. He's one of those guys that likes to think he runs the show.”

“So we're getting information from him?”

“No, `I'm' getting information from him. I'm gonna need this guy under my thumb as soon as possible and if you're there yelling and screaming, I can't get that.”

“So what are you going to do, that I can't?”

“You'll see.”


Ranma parked the car outside of the Furikan High school and got out. Ryouga look at it in wonder. “What the heck are we doing here?”

“I told you, he's teaching English.”

“Oh…”

The two walked in and just outside the door to the classroom Ranma put a hand on Ryouga's shoulder. “Just wait here and don't move, ok?”

Ryouga put his hands up in front of him and scrunched his face. “What? Why are you so hell bent that I don't come in?”

Ranma sighed. “Never mind… Just don't say any thing…” He opened the door and walked in on an after school tutoring session.

“Now look er' luv. If you want those grades, you're gunna haft to do your teacher a few favors, you know what I mean, sweat cheeks?”

The schoolgirl gave him a worried look. “Umm… not really…”

“Right, why don't we just slip in the back ere' and… Oh, fuck me no.” Paul had just noticed Ranma standing there with a frown on his face. “You! What the fuck are you doing ere' ya fucking tosser?”

Ranma place himself between the girl and Paul. “Get lost kid.” The girl nodded and went home to her mother. Ranma looked back at Paul and shook his head. “What am I going do with you Paul? You can't find a bitch stupid enough to fuck you, so you start coming after a bunch of naive kids?”

“Hey! It's not what it looks like. I got me self a girl over on seventh street these days.”

“Those are called hookers dip shit, now start telling me thing I want to know, or I'll rip your fucking nuts off.”

“No need to get testy with me, besides why should I tell you any thing? You've caused me nothing but grief ever since I came here.”

“How about this…” Ranma kicked the chair Paul was sitting on and grabbed the back of his head. His chin hit the desk and Ranma picked up a protractor off the desk. He then lifted Paul's unwilling left hand to the desk and put a knee on it. “Spread your hand Paul, or this might hurt…” A muffled scream came out as Paul spread out his fingers wide. Ranma tapped the empty space between Paul's thumb and index finger, and then the empty space between the middle and index finger. He came back slowly to the first point he hit and started hitting the spaces in a counter clockwise motion, until he had to come back. “I think you get the idea, eh Paul? Now here's the game. I'm going to start throwing out names and you're gonna tell me where they are, or where they might be. Every time I hear an answer I don't like, the speed of my stabs will increase and my accuracy with lower. Every time I think you're lying to me, the speed will once again increase. Now, nothing will decrease the speed so you better talk fast and it sure as shit better be clear, now lets begin.” Ranma started off pretty fast letting Paul stare at his hand and letting the idea sink in that it can be faster.

“You crazy fucker! What do you want to know!?”

“Akane Tendo. Do you know her and where is she?”

“I don't know er'! Get offa me ya fucking nancy!”

“I don't like the sound of that Paul.” Ranma started jabbing faster leaving the quick sounds of wood being stabbed behind.

Paul's eyes went wide. “Fuck me! Wait! I may av heard the name once, but that's it!”

Ranma looked away from his work and increased the speed once again. “Does that mean you were lying? I thought I told you not to lie.”

“I'm not lying! I know her sister, that's all!”

“She has two. Which one and what's your relationship with her?”

“Fuck off, that's private mate!”

“You're pissing me off now Paul.” Ranma went into a super sonic speed, which was now the slow form of the chestnut fist.

“Ok! Ok! She's that bird I met down on seventh! Nabiki!”

“Oooo. That was another thing I didn't like, you better tell me something nice real quick.”

“Fuck man! What do you want to know!?”

“Who's in charge of this city? Who's the guy to talk to if you want weapons and drugs?”

“I think his name was Garino or something! Let me go!”

Ranma shook his head. “You `think' his name is Garino? You better be pretty sure his name is Garino!” He once again increased the speed making little bits of wood start shooting off of the desk.

“And where would I find this so-called Garino?”

“Fuck! He owns a fucking mansion over in the high end of town! It used to belong to a lanky fucker named Kuno!”

“The Kuno estate eh? You're doing pretty good now big guy. Two more question and you're home free man!”

“Hurry the fuck up and ask them before you take me fucking hand off!”

“Are you giving me lip Paul?” Ranma turned up the volume once again and this time he nicked Paul.

“AHH! No! I'm sorry!”

“Good boy, now is Nabiki a working girl?”

“What do you mean working girl!?”

Ranma was starting to get to his top speed and started shaking his head. “Is she a fucking hooker!? Is she turning tricks for cash!?”

“No! No! She's a peeler mate! She works at the Pole Position strip joint!”

“And her bosses name is?”

“It's fucking Boris or something!”

“What have I told you about unsure names?”

“Boris! His fucking name is Boris! I don't have a fucking last name!”

“And here comes the bonus question Paul, and you better answer it right, or you've got more then a hand to worry about.”

“What!? What!?”

“Did ya fucked her!? Did ya fuck Nabiki!?”

“I swear on me fucking life, I haven't touched her! You gotta believe me mate! She's too high end for me! I couldn't get near that one!”

Ranma yelled and brought the protractor down one last time smashing the desk into a pile of splinters. Paul fell back and Ranma was over him in a second with the badly bent object to his neck. “Remember this Paul… If I find out you just lied to me… I'll cut out your fucking lungs with your own goddamn teeth. Do I make myself abso-fucking-lutly clear?” Paul nodded quickly with huge eyes. “Good. I'll be seeing you around, mate.” He got up and started heading out the door, but paused long enough to give the boy who'd stayed behind for detention. Ranma pointed at him and gave him a cold hard stare. “Stay in school and do your homework, or you'll end up like him.” Ranma motioned towards Paul and the kid in his desk just started nodding franticly.

Once Ranma and Ryouga were half way out the door Paul got up with an utterly pissed look on his face. “That's right, walk away, walk away, ya fucking nutter.” He then looked at the kid in detention. “What the fuck are you looking at!? Get to work you fucking penis!” Once again the kid nodded frantically and started solving the inner workings of the English language at an astonishing rate.


The two were back in the car and Ryouga was glaring at Ranma. “Mind telling me what that was all about?”

“This town needs to know I'm back, and he's the perfect person to spread the word.”

“Oh, that's fine and all, but since when have you started threatening people's lives? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were like the rest of those thugs out there.”

“I'm just setting up a basis Ryouga. Yes, I'm like those thugs out there, but there's one difference and Paul's going to tell every one.”

“And that is?”

“I don't work for any one, and I'm a lunatic.”

“How does this help us find Akane again?”

Ranma turned on the low beams of the car as he drove into a place where the fog was thinker. “These mob bosses and high rollers like people like that. There's nothing quite like having some hired dumb muscle willing to fill any one full of lead for a price. People like that are reliable and disposable.”

“Oh, so it's like handing out your resume?”

“Yup. A foot in the door is what you need in a town like this, and if you don't have one right away, then you do what I just did and force your way in.”

“Ok, I guess I can understand that. So are we heading for the strip club?”

“Yeah. I'm going to have a word with Boris.”

“What about Nabiki?”

“She doesn't need to know I'm back just yet, Paul will take care of that later. I'm more concerned with her boss right now.”

“What's so important about her boss? He's probably just another drug pushing, junkie.”

“Come on and think man. Nabiki's a smart girl and I have to admit, I was surprised to hear that she's a stripper these days, but then I thought about it for a second. She's always had a plan and she's probably working for him to get close. I just want to find out the reason and see if it's a good opportunity, or not.”

“Opportunity?”

“Yeah, I'm going to need money if I'm out here and I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to take longer then it should.”

“Are you just going to walk in and give him hell, or something?”

“No… I'm going to introduce myself twice and see who he likes better.”

“Twice? You don't mean you're going to…”

“I'll either be stripping, or beating the fuck out of people. It'll only take a few days to find out who he's working for, and if he knows anyone that would know where missing girls end up.” Ranma pulled the car over and parked it in a back alley. “Tell me Ryouga… How far will you go to help her?”

“I'll do anything it takes to get her out of here.”

“Maybe you don't know what I'm asking you here Ryouga, so I'll put it simply. Are you willing to shoot and kill people to get her out of here?”

“K-kill!?”

“Yeah, kill some one. Would you do it?”

“No!”

“Any thing it takes huh?” Ranma crossed his arms and smiled. “Look, I'm to the point where I stopped caring about my well-being a long time ago. I'll be honest with you Ryouga, you're currently sitting next to a murderer.”

“What!? Who the hell did you kill!?”

“A crack dealer, a pimp, some guy that liked to hit women, a sick fuck that molested kids, and a guy too strung out for his own good.”

Ryouga stared at Ranma in silence for a while. “What the hell have you been doing Ranma?”

“All sorts of things… I don't kill without a damn good reason, but since we last saw each other, I've developed a bit of a disregard for human life.”

“And you want me to be the same!?”

“No… I just want to know if you'd shoot some one if you were pinned down and had no other choice. Could you get over it and move on. You'd just be capping the people that turned this town to shit.”

“I'm not shooting any one!”

“I'm not going to make you, I'm just saying that if you can't then you may as well butt-out now and leave finding Akane to me. I'm going to start playing with the big boys soon and they play rough. You'll be useless to me unless you can at least shoot some one in the leg.”

“I just said I'm not shooting any one!”

“I'm not saying you have to, I'm just saying that it might come to that.”

“Why would it come to that Ranma? Honestly?”

“Every thing is up in the air right now Ryouga, and if Akane is in the type of trouble I think she's in, then we are going to end up pissing off a few guys with guns. Out there I can watch my own back, but unless you can watch mine for me, I can't watch yours. We need a certain measure of protection out here, and until I can hook up with some co-workers of mine, we need to be tough, mean, and pretty unpleasant, as you saw with Paul back there. You said it yourself, you put down your umbrella and picked up a gun, well guess what a gun is used for, and here's a hint. You can't make balloon animals out of them.”

Ryouga shook his head. “You're crazy man…”

“This coming from the guy who's sticking his neck out for a girl he cheated on. How about this? I'll work as a stripper for a few days. I'll get to know the boss, have a few words with Nabiki, and if I'm still not getting what information I need then I'll call you in. How does that sound?”

“What do you mean, `call me in.'? What do you want me to do?”

“I'll get to know this Boris guy, get on his good side, and introduce you as my brother, boyfriend, cousin, what ever the hell you want it to be and get you a job as an errand boy.”

“What does an errand boy do?”

“At first, you'll be sent around to beat up a few guys from time to time. Maybe drop some of the girls off and bring them back here when they're done. Just brainless work that involves swinging your fists around like a blind monkey desperately trying to defend his banana. He wouldn't dream of having you ice some guy as soon as you start working for him, you might be a cop undercover or something to that degree. Doing this will get us names, places, and things we may need. You can be the biggest, baddest, gun slinging arms dealer in the whole damn city, but still feel the need to get you whistle blown from time to time. I want to know who these people are if I ever need them or their merchandise. You see where I'm going with this?”

“I understand connections, but what about Akane?”

“What about her you ask? She's got a big mouth and a short temper. Probably lipped off the wrong person. Just trust me on what I'm doing here Ryouga. I've seen enough guys and had enough conversations with people that do this sort of thing to know what I'm doing right now.”

Ryouga sighed and plopped his head back in the seat. “Fine, but I'm still not shooting any one.”

“What ever peels your tangerine… Get out of here, I'll catch up with you later and I'll tell you the game plan.”

“I'm not driving this stolen hunk of shit out of here!”

Ranma shrugged his shoulders at Ryouga like he didn't care. “Then walk.”



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(Authors Note: In case you haven't noticed, the title is a name of a song. I'm giving this fic and official / un-official soundtrack. If for some reason this does not sit well with you, you can review the fic tell me how much you dislike me doing this and allow me to bring my delete button further towards it inevitable demise. If you like the idea then please pay attention to the final caption at the end of each chapter to know who did the song and its proper title if you didn't catch it the first time. Have fun and party hard.)

Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

 

 

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