'Tis done.
	<howls of exultation deleted>
	I am not _entirely_ happy with a few parts of it, especially near 
the end; so I would welcome C&C.
	Sorry if I blow up anyone's mailbox, but I am taking _no_ chances 
with the server eating this thing again.

HTG
______________________________________________________________________________
******

Late Night/Early Morning; Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters:

	Shampoo never liked being subtle in the traditional meaning of the
word.  In fact, her preferred form of covert influence over others is
sneaking powerful mind-altering substances into food and feeding it
(sometimes forcefully) to whomever she wanted influenced.
	Never the less, true stealth was foremost in her mind as she
looked in the window on the second floor of the Boys' Dorm in this school,
gazing at her beloved sleeping on a mat in the darkened room. 
Reluctantly, she checked the small timer and leapt from the windowsill to
the seat of her bicycle and pedaled for the front gate as though her life
depended on it.  She carefully braked at the front gate, taking care not
to make more noise than absolutely necessary, and checked her watch.
	#45 seconds to the front of the Girls' Dorm,# Shampoo thought
critically, #I could cut that at least in half if I don't bother with
doors.  Easier to keep the bike there or in the lobby to prevent anyone
from getting suspicious (_if_ Nabiki's big mouth didn't do that already
what is she _thinking_!?), 30 seconds at the most to rescue Ranma, and 15
to the gate.# She checked the powdered happiness spice to keep her husband
from struggling and the thermos of ice water to shrink him down as much as
possible (#He shouldn't slow me down much in any case,# she had considered
when she assembled her escape gear while the others slept, #but I can't
afford to take any chances#).
	She started to pull the road map she had bought at the airport
from under her when an unearthly buzz/roar wafted over from the woods on
the far side of the (unnervingly oversized) campus.  She froze for a
moment and waited for the hammer to drop; then, when the alarm was not
accompanied with weapons or guards trying attack her, she rode in the
direction of the sound to investigate.
	A minute later, she abandoned the bike and was creeping through
the thick grove of trees toward the source of the odd sound when a light
exploded out from a clearing ahead of her.  Despite being all but blinded,
over a decade of training held firm as she leapt for the branches
overhead, there she allowed her eyes to adjust and crept toward the
clearing.  She arrived at the source of the sound a few seconds after it
stopped, just in time to see the hole in the middle of the air snap shut. 
After wasting several seconds being totally astonished, she dropped down
to investigate.  It was obvious that there _was_ someone here, he (or she)
made no attempt to hide his trail where he passed through the woods.
	"<But... where he go?>" Shampoo muttered as she stared at where the
portal slammed shut.
	She received no clue to the answer even as she carefully crept
around the inhabited sector of the campus in search of anyone else roused
by noise, consciously avoiding the window to the room of the woman that
only _just_ missed spotting her earlier.  Satisfied that the only one's
that were awake (both of them in the same room as Kodachi unfortunately
for them), either missed her entirely or dismissed whatever they sensed as
merely nerves; she carried her bike to the front gate, rechecked the map,
and set off to scout a few escape routes.
******

	Logan remained still and relaxed until Shampoo reached the gate,
then opened his eyes and reached for the jeans, tank-top, and sandals he
hung on the back of the couch Sean let him sleep on.  He had been
following the girl's movements from the time she stepped out of the dorm
with his ears alone as he 'played possom' and silently wondered whether to
wake the other adults.
	#Irish's too overprotective, he'd overreact and probably panic the
kid if I'm readin' her right;# Logan decided as he quickly dressed and
walked silently to the door, #and I figure Frost already know's more'n I
do if I know her at all (hope Charley knows what he's doin', trustin the
Hellfire Club's old White Queen like this).#
	Focusing his thoughts with a silent snort, Logan crept out the
door and intercepted the young Joketsuzoku's scent trail with unerring
accuracy.  #Better keep slow an' quiet, she can't hide her scent and I
don't want t' catch u-# Logan decided before he heard the soft squeak of
the bicycle chain accelerating away with speed he'd expect from his
motorcycle.
	#On th' other hand....# the mutant sighed as he settled into a fast
jog.
******

I-90 off-ramp; not far from XSfGY:

	Logan peered at the small hair ornament hanging off the 'Exit'
sign from the bottom of the off-ramp and nodded, his suspicions about the
girl's plans confirmed.
	#She doubled back from here,# he thought with firm conviction, #and
headed down that side road a mile back.  Looks like she's headed all th'
way t' Boston and from the smell of it, she ain't going t' slow down
anytime soon.  Looks like a survey/practice run, so she'll try t' get back
b'fore she thinks anyone'll miss her; but I can't risk tryin' t' trail her
on my bike or she'll spot me an' bolt for sure.#
	He suddenly smiled as he thought of a friend that just happened to
be in Boston for some 'business' dealings.
	#I'm sure Tyger ain't gonna mind loanin' me th' use o' her ninjas
'til mornin',# Logan decided as he headed for a nearby pay phone, #an'
Madripoor's chief crimelord owe's her conscience a enough favors t'
forgive a call this time o' morning.#
******

Before Dawn; Near I-90; Snow Valley, Massachusetts:

	"<You just spotted her... on-ramp to I-90 westbound... yup, purple
hair on a bicycle, that's her... no _don't_ bother trying to follow her,
you couldn't keep up anyway... thanks, Tyger'll pay your bonus.>"
	CLICK
	#Good,# Logan thought as he hung up the pay phone and started for
the campus, #if I didn't get a report in by dawn, I'd have t' get a search
goin'.
	#Better pull her aside an' tell her what's goin' on though; if
she's paranoid enough t' check the train stations, bus terminals, docks,
_and_ airports (good thing Tyger had watchers all over th' place already)
she's wound up enough t' do someone real harm if she sees a threat.  Can
see where Charley an' Frost thought coming clean from the get-go was a bad
idea, but looks to me like keepin' secrets from 'em gonna do more harm
than good... to _us_.#
******

Before Dawn; Girls' Dorm (Kitchen); Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters: 

	"You're up early kid," a deep, familiar voice noted almost casually
as Jubilation Lee fought to keep from passing out face-first in the large
bowl of sugar-laden cereal before her, "couldn't sleep?"
	Jubilee slowly turned towards the voice and paused for a few
moments as she matched the short, hairy man with the question she heard;
then scowled as she turned back to shovel another spoon of sucrose into
her mouth.
	Logan could only smile as he shook his head.  #Kid ain't changed,#
he thought, #she wouldn't get up before noon if she could get away with
it.#
	Logan's face grew puzzled and concerned as he examined the young
former X-Man with his eyes and nose, quickly realizing that she had not
slept two hours in the past eight but finding no trace of physical illness
aside from the residual signs of near continual stress.  As he began to
ask what had disturbed her; he spotted a bleary-eyed Kitty walk into the
room (not even pretending to bother with the door) and shamble through the
table, Jubilee, and part of the stove to get the sink.  As she began to
feel around for the coffee pot and absently wondered why she couldn't turn
on the faucet, she noticed someone snapping fingers in front of her face
and looked down at the muscular, hairy arm poking through her chest.
	"O' 'i L'gan" she mumbled sleepily before shaking her head,
stepping clear of any solid objects, and forcing herself back into
solidity.
	"Don't _DO_ that!!"  a now _wide_ awake Jubilee yelled from where
she fell after tipping her chair over in panic, "Somebody could'a saw ya!"
	"Kid's right Pumpkin," Logan noted, "we got _guests_ here,
remember?"
	"Sorry," Kitty said as she blushed and splashed cold water on her
face, "Kodachi kept us up all night."
	"She don't snore _that_ loud." stated Logan with the assurance of
one who slept in an adjacent room.
	"She don't snore Wolvie," Jubilee corrected, still sounding
slightly traumatized, "she giggles.  All night, really softly, _really_
creepily, and non-stop; she _giggles_!"
	"I'm beginning to see why Nabiki insisted that none of the others
got along with her that well (while gouging us for 'consulting fees'),"
Kitty noted as she silently gave thanks for the foresight to set the timer
on the coffee machine last night, "she had me jumping at shadows all night
without even trying." 
	Logan debated telling the teenage mutant ninja of the event that
should have gotten her attention last night, but decided against it as
Kitty headed for the Biosphere to do her morning katas. 
	"Oh, I almost forgot." she said as she headed out the door, "I went
to Boston the day before yesterday to get you a few clothes so don't
disappear on me."
	"Already got cl-" Logan began.
	"Oh hush." Kitty said with an impish smile, "We're supposed to be a
'respectable' school and you _do_ want to make a good impression on your
students, right Logan-sensei?"
	"I gotta _bad_ feeling about this" Logan muttered.
******

Dawn; Girls' dorm (2nd floor):

	The alarm clock sounded off precisely at 5:15 and managed to beep
for a whole 10 seconds before it's owner turned it off and stretched out
the kinks in her back.  Paige Guthrie then hopped off the bed and started
to step over to her dresser in order to begin her normal morning routine
with an exercise tape. 
	As she stumbled over the rumpled futon and nearly fell she
suddenly remembered that she would have to alter that routine for the next
two weeks.
	"<What have I done?>" Tendo Nabiki grumbled from under her
pillow."<I come halfway around the world and the first thing I do is set
myself up in a room with _two_ morning people.>"
	"uh, Sumimasen" Paige said to the figure across the room as she
started to get dressed for a workout, "<Where Shampoo?>"
	"She woke up before you did and left.  Maybe you can find her if
you hurry."  Nabiki volunteered, desperate to get some more sleep and
hoping her host would take the hint.
	#Girl's _quiet_!# Paige marveled as she dressed, #Up, dressed, and
out the door while Ah may well be dead for all Ah notice.#
	She continued alternating between mentally praising Shampoo's
stealth and berating herself for inattentiveness unbecoming an X-Man as
she headed to the front of the dorm and began her usual calisthenics in
preparation for her usual morning jog.  A few minutes after she began she
spotted a short-haired Japanese girl stretching in preparation for her own
run beneath a tree not far from her.
	"<Good afternoon... Akane, is it?>" Paige cheerily greeted as she
finished and walked toward her fellow early bird.
	"Hello... Paige, right?" Akane responded as she looked up at the
blonde, "You run too, like me?"
	"Hai." she said while trying to figure out how to phrase her
request. 
	"Do you-" Akane began after a few seconds of silence.
	"<-want to->" Paige said simultaneously.
	"-run with-"
	"<-me?>"
	They both blinked in slight surprise, then smiled and chuckled
their joke.
	"OK!" they said at once as they smiled at each other.
******

2nd Floor; Boys' Dorm:

	Everett Thomas rolled over and sat up at the sun streamed the
window.  As he looked at the futons lain on his floor he sighed as he
found one surmounted by a long-haired youth sitting up and fumbling about
for his glasses while another lay as neatly arranged as it was before his
second roommate left for a shower last night.
	#I couldn't believe it until I saw it myself.# he thought as he
picked up the _thick_ glasses on his nightstand and thought back to
Kitty's hushed warning to 'Keep an eye on Ryoga' the night before, #She
said the guy had a bad sense of direction, but _how_ can a man get lost on
his way back from the bathroom at the end of the hallway when I put all of
our names on the door?!?#
	The search he and Mousse initiated after Ryoga was missing for a
few hours had tuned up little aside from wet footprints that followed a
random path until the feet dried.  After nearly an hour of searching,
Everett was at the point of asking Sean and Logan for help when Mousse
suddenly grabbed him and literally dragged him back to the dorm room,
whereupon he (with the aid of a Japanese Phrasebook Everett bought and
considerable pantomimes on his part) explained that Ryoga usually found
someplace warm to bed down whenever he found himself lost late at night
(which was often).
	#He saw something.# Everett contemplated Mousse took the offered
glasses and earnestly thanked the lamp beside him, #We were by the
Biosphere, and he was checking something in the underbrush... I thought I
saw blood and animal tracks, but the minute I tried following them he
grabbed me and dragged me home to try to cover for Ryoga.#
******

	Saotome Ranma glanced silently at the boy in the bed as he pulled
on his blue shirt; shaking his head slightly at the sight of Angelo
Espinosa's grey skin hanging in loose folds all over his face.
	#An' I thought _I_ had problems.# He thought as he reflected on his
mixed amusement and disdain at the reports of the 'mutants' that some
claimed would supplant humanity.  As one who dedicated his life to martial
arts mastery, the youth never took those who relied primarily on genetic
gifts seriously, let alone thought of them as suffering; and as to those
who called them threats, he had nothing but contempt (#Just get some
training boneheads,# he thought at the time, #they can't be _that_
powerful... can they?#). 
******

Morning; Wooded area of campus; Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters:

	"Akane," Paige wheezed as she tried to catch her breath while her
companion jogged in place, "<um... you say Ranma is fiancee... but many
girls... like him.  Why?>
	Akane remained silent for a moment to try and find the vocabulary
to answer and decide whether the blonde girl was being rude.  "Ranma's
father and my father want us to... marry?  So we inharu... inhen... get
dojo."
	"<That bad.>" Paige pronounced, somewhat disturbed by the custom.
"<You, Akane, do not like Ranma?>" 
	"<Like Ranma?> Akane began, forgetting her promise to practice her
english as she unconsciously began a series of spin-kicks, "<why would I
like a macho, _boneheaded_, _Egotistical_, FAITHLESS IDIOT LIKE _HIM_!!!>"
	Akane and Paige both halted and blinked in surprise as she
realized that her last kick had slammed into a reasonably thick tree. 
Paige rushed forward expecting the shorter girl to cry out in pain when an
ominous creaking filled the air as the trunk proceeded to split across
it's girth. Paige simply stared dumbstruck as the tree leisurely tipped
over and fell into the forest while Akane took a deep breath and calmed
herself.
	"No Paige, I _don't_ like Ranma." Akane said somewhat coldly as she
began jogging off in a huff with no sign of a limp.
	#Ah ain't seen _nobody_ get that angry at _anybody_ that
didn't....# Paige thought as she stared after the girl, then she broke
into a grin as she muttered, "'Methinks the lady doth protest too much.'"
	Then she took another look at the broken trunk of the tree the
martial artist brought down with a single kick, swallowed hard, and
started to run after her companion when a small sound halted both girls in
their tracks.
	Akane looked around the underbrush instinctively at the familiar
grunt, then cried out and ran towards the sight of a small snout poking
through the bushes.
	"P-chan!!" she yelled as she picked up the bedraggled black piglet
and noted the dried blood on his flank, "<You're hurt!>"
	"<Your... pet?>" Paige asked as she looked over the shoulder of the
smaller girl.
	"Un" Akane nodded as she babbled, "He must got in my luggage, and
get hurt after he leave."
	Paige tried to get a good look at the piglet's injury as Akane
cuddled it while murmuring apologies and endearments, only to blink in
surprise as she realized that the noticeable gash was more than halfway
healed.
	#If the blood ain't in her clothes,# Paige thought, #li'l thing got
hurt after she got here and ain't no way a cut like that heals up that
quick...
	#An' where'd Ah see that bandanna before?#
******

	Paige had an easier time of it as the two half-jogged, half-walked
toward the dormitory; the two had simply been babbling about their lives
and family, both trying to ignore the guilt caused by the omissions they
were consciously making.
	"Is there... clinic here for P-chan?" Akane said as they approached
the Girls' dorm.
	"<Can I look?>" Paige asked as Akane carefully handed over the oddly
dazed piglet she had been holding to her breasts, "<He OK, just need to
clean... er....>"
	"<Cut?>"
	"Hai." Paige concluded with a grateful smile as she stopped in
front of the dorm, <We wash him up in bathroom and he fine.>
	"Good," Akane smiled as she started indoors, "we take him to shower
and wash him with us."
	"Oh, shower, right." Paige said nervously as she realized that she
had already began tearing open the skin behind her ear, "<Wait! your
clothes!>"
	"Will get them!" she called as she headed for Monet's room.
	"That gives me some time at least." Paige murmured before she
remembered the presence of the piglet in her arms.
	"Hope you c'n keep a secret li'l fellah" she muttered under her
breath as she headed for the showers. 
****** 

Showers; Girls' Dorm: 

	Paige chuckled to herself as she noticed the piglet's stance after
she undressed and set aside the clothes she had in the shower room, it was
a little unusual to see a pet turn his back on a naked woman and keep his
eyes tightly shut.  She then sighed and thought about the lies the had
told.
	#Ah dunno,# She mused as she idly sliced through the skin along the
side of her head and neck with a fingernail, #Ah _like_ the kid, and Ah
hate lyin' t' her; but we ain't known these people for a day yet and if
they freak out like 'Beth....#
	She scowled to herself as she realized that what she was doing
would make any ethical questions about concealing her mutant nature moot
if Akane walked in on her.  She then picked up the pig, headed a shower
stall with a small, open window; and set gentlemanly little P-Chan near
the open entrance facing outward.
	"And for effect...." Paige then said as she reached for the faucet.
	Maybe it was a shift in humidity, maybe it was the rumble of water
through the pipes, maybe it was a form of precognition developed from
living for weeks at a time a spilled mug of tea away from intensive care
that caused the swine's eyes to snap open.
	What it certain was that P-Chan suddenly realized that Paige
Guthrie liked her showers _hot_!
	With speed born of absolute panic, the demi-piglet scrambled
across the slick tile in hope of outracing the scalding mist and spray. 
He almost succeeded.
	"Huh?" Paige muttered as she began to dig her nails into the side
of her neck, "Akane?  P-Chan?"
	She stepped out of the stall and looked at the main door and front
dressing area, then extended her search to the floor when she realized the
piglet left in her charge had disappeared.  If she had stepped into the
main chamber and looked towards the side of the stalls however, she may
have noticed an utterly terrified 17 year old boy wearing nothing but a
yellow and black bandanna eyeing the open window above the lockers and
trying very hard not to breathe.
	"Paige?" called Akane's voice as the doorknob began to turn.
	The two occupants of the room bolted; Paige ducked back into her
stall while Ryoga grabbed a towel and jumped through the window with all
the speed he could muster.  As he left part of Ryoga's mind registered a
sound reminiscent of the skin being ripped off a fairly large animal,
however he was too busy realizing that the shower was on the second floor
to contemplate that information. 
	#Well,# Ryoga contemplated moments later as he fingered the scar on
his hip where he cut himself on... whatever it was in that oversized
greenhouse, #at least this cut didn't reopen when I changed.#
	"<Damn you Ranma.>" he muttered as he wrapped the towel around his
waist and walked away from the building, unmindful of the near intact skin
of Paige Guthrie that fluttered down behind the bushes beside him moments
before.
******

Evening; Nekohanten; Nerima District, Tokyo:

	Cologne sighed as she nodded politely to the sniper down the block
and locked up for the night.  Business, already slow, had fallen to almost
nothing after her great-granddaughter and the Idiot left the day before
last.
	#I suppose that more customers came for the view than I thought.#
she sighed, recalling how much attention the male diners paid attention to
the waitress... and the female ones paid to the menial laborer.
	She was heading into the living quarters upstairs, using her
gnarled wooden staff as a pogo stick, when she sensed a disturbance in her
private storage area behind a locked door in the basement.  As she bounced
beneath the restaurant, the unearthly light shining from beneath the door
was quite visible in the darkness.  She calmly took the small skeleton key
from her robes and flicked her wrist, hurling it spearlike and spinning
like a slow rifle bullet until it entered the keyhole cleanly and made a
final quarter turn to unlock it.  As though the entire event was
choreographed beforehand, the ancient woman turned to the light switch
(while still balanced on top of her cane) and turned it on just as the
light faded and the door was pushed open from within. 
	Cologne hopped to the ground and calmly regarded the short (at
least compared to most younger people, he still had nearly two feet on
her), wizened, grey bearded Australian Aborigine that stood before her
clad only in a loincloth and a coiled bullroarer hanging from his
shoulder. 
	"Hello old friend," the Joketsuzoku wise-woman said in vaguely
British sounding english, "I see you are still persisting with this
'Gateway' nonsense." 
******

Morning; Central courtyard; XSfGY:

	Kuonji Ukyo stood by her yatai and stared into the polished steel
blade of her largest spatula, quietly contemplating the young man that
looked back at her.  For most of her life, that face was a reminder of her
shame, her abandonment at age six by her intended husband and his father
and their theft of her dowry.  But last year she finally tracked down the
cute little boy she had enough of a crush on to convince her father to
speak to his about marriage; and found a handsome teenager possessed of
both amazing fighting skills and a strong sense of honor... one who had no
idea of either the planned marriage or his childhood friend's true gender. 
Now her path was different, she and Ranma were friends once more (of
course if things went her way they would be _far_ more), and she could not
help but wonder at times why her femininity has proven so easy to cast
aside or embrace of late. 
	#Funny,# Ukyo thought, #I never did throw away my old clothes,
never got in the habit of _woman's_ clothes much... and come to think of
it, the only times I go out of my way _not_ to pass for a guy are at the
beach or when I'm trying to get Ran-chan's 'attention'.  Maybe I don't
miss womanhood as much as I-#
	Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of her betrothed heading into the
dorm opposite her's and spun to call him over then bent over and busied
herself firing up the wheeled griddle.
	"<Hey Ucchan!>" Ranma called as he approached.  Ukyo immediately
looked up and began staring over his shoulder at the grey skinned youth
following him.
	"Forgive me." she said as she caught herself and bowed politely,
"You surprise me... ano...." 
	Angelo sighed as he looked at the rather embarrassed looking boy
before him and relaxed somewhat while Ranma gave him a 'sorry about this'
look before introducing them.
	"<Ucchan, Angelo Espinosa>", Ranma began, "Angelo, this Kuonji
Ukyo."
	"Would you want Okonomiyaki?" asked Ukyo in an attempt to change
the subject.
	Angelo simply shrugged as Ranma nodded eagerly, then gazed in
surprise as Ukyo rolled up her sleeves and her arms faded into a strange
haze that appeared over the griddle and ended at her elbows.  With her
usual flourish, she scooped the steaming okonomiyaki onto her largest
spatula and, after a second of hesitation, presented it to Angelo with a
smile.  Angelo took a bite out of the apparent peace offering and grinned.
	"Good stuff." he remarked around a mouthful.
	"Thank you," she remarked, already cooking up another okonomiyaki
for a slightly impatient Ranma, "it is my job."
	As Ukyo explained her occupation as a restauranteur, Angelo
thought back to the original room assignments and realized what was wrong
with what he was seeing.
	"Waitaminute," Angelo interrupted, "ain't you supposed t' be a
girl?" 
	"Ano...." Ukyo responded as she blushed.
	"Is long... story." noted Ranma as he gulped down the last of his
breakfast. 
	"Ahh," noted Angelo as he raised an eyebrow and smirked, "you going
_after_ the chicas, si?"
	Ranma and Ukyo initially looked blankly at him, confused by the
'spainglish' terminology; however, Ukyo's eyes soon glimmered with
understanding, widened with surprise, and then narrowed in anger.
	CLANG
	"IS NOT LIKE THAT!!" Ukyo yelled at the mutant, his head firmly
wedged between the flat of her spatula the remainder of his breakfast.
******

Main Building (Remedial English); XSfGY:

	Logan glanced at his faint reflection in the window and shook his
head in mild disbelief.
	"Yukio'd prob'ly laugh her head off if she saw me like this," the
old warrior muttered faintly, "on th' other hand Elf'd call it an
improvement... and M'iko...."
	He cut that train of thought immediately, realizing that profound
depression was not the state of mind he wanted to be in for his first day
as an instructor at a 'reputable place of learning', and opened the door
to his classroom.
	The view the mutant saw before him was very surprising considering
the reports of what had happened at the airport yesterday and what he had
heard on the way to the Main Building.  The room was quiet, the shattered
desk, mace embedded in an interior wall, and semi-conscious Tatewaki the
only overt testament to the short tempers and considerable skills of those
within.  The student's were seated in a surprisingly orderly fashion: 
Ranma looking vaguely bored, Mousse alternated between worried glances at
the door and sour looks at Ranma as he rubbed his sore jaw, Kuno looked
moderately dazed (getting tagged on the head with a large iron ball tended
to do that, even if you were not it's target), and Genma looked generally
annoyed.
	For their part, the students saw a rather dapper looking man clad
in dress-shoes, slacks, a beige shirt complete with matching tie, and a
plaid sweater-vest.  All in all, Logan seemed the perfect image of a
50-ish liberal arts college professor, even the micro-ponytail and massive
sideburns did not look greatly out of place. 
	Logan sighed slightly as he went over the list of students.  _He_
knew where the missing student had gone, but to continue as if nothing
were happening would not only insult the intelligence of those who knew
there were five students assigned this class, but make even more of them
suspect the absolute worst. 
	"<Has anybody seen Shampoo?>" he asked, consciously using less
informal japanese than what he was accustomed to.
	"<N-no Logan-Sensei>" Kuno stammered, now fully conscious and amazed
by the transformation of the uncouth barbarian he met yesterday.
	Ranma and Genma simply shrugged and shook their heads.
	"<You said she would be here Saotome.>" Mousse snarled, ignoring
Logan as he pulled a huge scimitar out the sleeve of his robe and glared
menacingly at the pig-tailed boy. 
	"<I said _probably_, DuckBoy.>" Ranma said as he cracked his
knuckles and prepared for Round 2.
	"<Quiet!>" Logan barked, immediately getting everybody's attention.
	The students immediately shut up and stared at the teacher for a
moment, expecting to be taken to task for the disruption.  Logan for his
part was apparently staring at nothing in particular, his head cocked at a
slight angle.
	#Yup, that's her.# Logan thought as the sound of a bicycle chain
moving at impossible speeds reached his ears, #Past th' gate... heading
straight here... must've paced herself on th' way back... what th' hell
sheAIN'TSTOPPIN-#
	CRASH
	RING-RING
	In all his years, in more that a lifetime of travels throughout
this world and beyond, Logan had not seen anything quite like this.  He
could only blink in surprise as the purple haired girl, looking somewhat
tired and disheveled, set her surprisingly intact bicycle by the side of
rather large hole she just made in the brick outer wall.
	"<Shampoo sorry teacher.>" she said after she caught her breath and
slammed Mousse into the floor when he tried to embrace her, "<Shampoo go
explore in morning, take time to find way back.>"
	"<Understood.>" Logan said once he regained his composure and
Shampoo took a seat beside Ranma, "<Now let me make a few things clear
students.  Firstly _no_ fighting in class, that means no threats, no
provocation, no challenges.  If you have a problem, it waits until after
class....>
	#What's with her?# Ranma wondered as he watched the wary figure
next to him, #Shampoo's _never_ tried to get this close to me without
tryin' to grab me or feed me or kill me....#
******

Main Building (Intermediate English):

	Kitty had a headache.
	This was supposed to be simple.  She had only two students, both
of whom had (comparatively) good academic and disciplinary records back at
Furinkan, so she and Logan had decided that she would check their
knowledge of spoken english with a simple personal interview.  It had all
gone quietly, until Ukyo (still the picture of a student at an all-boys
private school outside of the bandolier of spatulas and the monstrous
thing Kitty insisted be left in the corner of the room) had mentioned that
she was engaged to Saotome Ranma.  Of course Akane grumbled something in
japanese, Ukyo responded, and it escalated into a shouting match that left
her head ringing.
	"<What makes you think Ranchan'd marry a abusive tomboy like
_you_!?!>"
	"<Who are YOU calling _TOMBOY_!?!?!>"
	"<QUIET!!!!!>" Kitty finally yelled at the top of her lungs.
	"<Am I to understand,>" she continued after she collected her
thoughts and the students muttered embarrassed apologies, "<that Saotome
Genma had engaged his son to _both of you?>"
	Ukyo remembered giggling to herself as she played with the
pony-tailed boy in the small gi as their fathers spoke in hushed tones
near the yatai that would be her's... and her husband's....
	Akane recalled watching her father weep openly with joy as he
explained the pact he and his best friend made to unite their families and
schools by marrying his then-newborn son to one of the three Tendo
daughters....
	... days later she ran screaming after the yatai promised as her dowry
while Saotome Genma pulled it down the road and her clueless playmate
waved cheerily from it's rear.
	... after the insanity of the past day, she walked into the bathroom
for a long relaxing soak, only to see a naked boy her age she had never
seen before rise from the steaming water as she stepped in the door clad
only in a towel
	"Yes, sempai." they finally nodded to Kitty.
	#Why is it,# Kitty wondered as she thought back to the madness that
was the exchange students arrival, #that this doesn't surprise me, or look
like Ranma's only problem?#
******

Main Building (Advanced English):

	"Let me see if I understand this Ryoga," Everett said as he led the
washed and fully clothed wanderer down the hall by the hand, "you tried to
find your way back to the room, got lost outside _all_ _night_, and found
yourself in the shower room in the wrong dormitory and jumped out the
window before anybody came in and 'misunderstood'."
	"Yes." Ryoga said tersely, noticeably blushing and not meeting his
eyes.  "My entire family is like this, without a sense of direction." he
quickly added.
	Everett contemplated the brooding figure he led down the hall.  He
had spotted him from the common kitchen as he wandered towards the woods
that surrounded the much of the campus clad only in a towel and bandanna. 
Everett managed to get his attention and lead him back to the Dorm for a
shower and breakfast, and then insisted on leading him to classes that
morning.  Ryoga had remained quiet and brooding all morning except when
they bumped into Akane and Paige (whereupon he became a nervous, babbling
wreck).
	#Yup, definite crush.# Everett decided as they approached Ryoga's
classroom.  Then he noticed what seemed like a faint yellow glow
surrounding his companion.  Before he could make up his mind whether or
not it was a trick of the light, however, he was distracted by the bones
in his hand shifting position.
	"Ryoga take it easy!" Everett nearly yelled as he tried to shake
him with his free hand.
	"Nan- oh, forgive me." Ryoga said as he hurriedly released
Everett's hand, "I was... thinking."
	"No harm done," Everett replied, wincing slightly as he made sure
his hand was still functional, "just relax a little.  And wait for me here
after class, OK?"
	#Nobody would make up a lie that crazy# Everett concluded as Ryoga
nodded in affirmation, #and nobody can fake that sense of direction all
the time... looks like he's telling the truth.#
******

	#... as far as it went.# Emma Frost noted as she sat in the classroom
with her other two students for the morning.  Both she and the others
arrived before schedule and she had been telepathically monitoring the
boys' conversation as they quietly awaited Ryoga. 
	To tell the truth, Emma was still slightly uncomfortable with her
current companions.  She was used to knowing exactly what was on
everybody's mind at all times, whether she used that knowledge or not. 
Unfortunately for her, Tendo Nabiki's psychic defenses proved as
impervious as ever; and while Kuno Kodachi's thoughts were easily
accessible, her brief visit into the girl's dreams the night before had
her lying awake for hours and very, very, frightened of the young gymnast.
	The temptation presented by a nearby and unaware mind she was
willing and able to probe trying to hide something proved too great to
resist, and without a physical movement she plunged into his recent
memories.
******

	It's emaciated form was swathed in black bandages, it's fingers
and toes elongated mockeries of human digits honed beyond razor sharpness,
it's strangely inquisitive face surrounded by spikes, the coloring a deep
blood red everywhere except for the solid blue orbs that served as it's
(her?) eyes.
	She was staring down at him as she reached with her bladed hand.
	#I see he's met Penance.# Emma thought wryly as she 'saw' what the
boy experienced last night, #Let us see... ran between her legs, cutting
himself on her toe in the process... found his way out of the BioSphere...
wandered around the forest until he found a spot to sleep....
	#WAIT A MINUTE!# she almost said aloud as the reason for the
nagging wrongness in the memories struck her, #He was no more than ankle
high for most of the night!#
	The telepath probed deeper as Ryoga approached his seat, ferreting
out whatever information that could explain a transformation that felt as
routine (to Ryoga) as it was radical.  #Valley of Cursed Springs?# she
thought as she found some of his more significant memories, #Spring of
Drowned Piglet... curse triggered by cold and hot water... oh my lord,
P-Chan?!?#
	If it were not for the emotional self control that years ago
earned her the title 'Ice Queen of Frost Enterprises', Emma would have
fallen out of her chair and laughed herself sick.  As it were, she did
allow a faintly amused expression to reach her face as Ryoga took his
seat.
	#Frost-sensei!#
	The thought rang in Emma's head despite the fact that it was not
her's.  Not precisely projected, the mental voice still sounded loud and
clear against the psychic background noise.  A strange chill went down her
spine as she slowly turned towards the source of the call only to stare
into the half-closed eyes of Tendo Nabiki.
	#Sensei,# Nabiki thought 'audibly', her face remaining utterly
emotionless, #is it normal procedure for instructors to probe the minds of
students without their permission?#
	Emma fought to keep her reaction from her face and body as she
frantically (and unsuccessfully) probed for any weakening or chinks within
the girl's psi-shields
	#I... err... no.# the telepath finally 'said', realizing _how_ much
she had come to rely on subtle application of her telepathic powers to lie
convincingly.  Even the telepathic nature of Emma's response failed to
conceal her nervousness and shock over being spotted so quickly,
especially by someone who had no trace of psychic ability that she could
detect.  Not surprisingly, the implications were not lost on young Nabiki.
	#May we... discuss this policy sometime later then ma'am?# Nabiki
asked politely, allowing Emma to sense her very real anticipation of
future profit at that point. 
	#Very well,# Emma all but snarled, humiliated at being manipulated
so easily by a head-blind child.  Then aloud to the oblivious class she
said, "Now let's get started, shall we?" 
******

Night; Nekohanten:

	"Calm yourself my friend." Cologne told Gateway as the latter
stared at the basement's ceiling, "the spies outside see nothing out of
the ordinary if I do not wish it."
	Gateway looked at her with a dubious expression, but settled to
the ground and silently took the tea that was offered.
	"I suppose that you've finally run out of words, considering how
excessively you talked in your youth." Cologne sighed, "I am to assume
that you are here to reassure me that my great-granddaughter is in perfect
safety and Charles Xavier has no connection with the watchers set upon
me." it was not a question.
	"I suspected as much." she continued, reading the genuine
astonishment on the old man's face with ease, "His involvement in the
'mutant rights' controversy sparked my suspicions, but I realize now that
he is not one of Nathanel's lackeys.  A comparatively benign rival
perhaps, but no lackey.
	"In fact, Professor Xavier has more in common with the mutant
'super-heroes' called X-Men than a similar interest in the welfare of
'Homo superior', correct?"
	Gateway only nodded, stroking his beard as he tried to figure out
how the old woman learned these secrets while spending the better part of
the past half century in the remote Joketsuzoku village.
	"I shall speak to your great-granddaughter about this," Gateway
finally said in an accented voice scratchy with disuse as he finally rose,
"it seems she fears the worst and is willing to act on that assumption." 
	"No." ordered Cologne, "It would be best if Shampoo put some work
into discovering the truth for herself, I cannot be there to think for her
all the time and such an exercise of the mind would be beneficial for the
child." 
	Gateway simply glared at her grimly as he began to unwind the
bullroarer in preparation for his return to the 'States.
	"Not a word about my 'Machiavellian Scheming' _young_ _man_,"
Cologne responded, "if I were as 'ethical' as you liked, our bleached
bones may still be under Uluru."
	"And what of Sinister?" Gateway asked, locking eyes with the older
woman.
	"Xavier's minions have dealt with the whelp in the past, yes?" 
Cologne noted, holding up a hand to silence Gateway's retort, "I suspect
that between the 'instructors' at this place, Shampoo, the Son-in-Law, and
_his_ friends; young Essex may find his hands full.
	"Consider your silence payment of the debt you owe me Australian,"
she concluded with a note of command, "you have certainly done more over
less."
	Gateway did not answer, but grimly nodded his head as he whirled
the bullroarer over his head and opened a hole in the air from which
blinding light issued forth.  Cologne was forced to turn her eyes from the
radiance and when she could look in that direction again, Gateway was
gone.
******

Noon; Courtyard, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters:

	Saotome Ranma felt fortunate as he strolled out into the sunlight. 
His day had been quiet after class began (considering who his four
classmates were, it was a miracle) and Logan-sensei had actually held his
interest (#Unlike _some_ people.# he mused, recalling the squeaking bundle
of hyperactivity that insisted on being called Hinako-sensei) as he
drilled them in the rudiments of spoken English for almost 3 hours
straight before sending _most_ of his class to lunch before anyone else.
	#At least Pop ain't gonna yell at me about sleepin' in class for a
while.# The boy chuckled to himself, recalling how his father awoke to a
harsh '<Sleep well, Saotome-san?>' whispered into his ear before he even
had a chance to start snoring.  _He_ was still in class, probably being
discreetly dressed-down and buried in homework.  As for the others....
	Ranma's smile faded as worry tugged at him.  The fact that Kuno
and Mousse tried to maim him and hug Shampoo respectively was normal
enough (he was a _little_ surprised that they waited until they were all
out the door), but his only companion at the moment was beginning to
unnerve him.  Shampoo had not made any move to shower him with her normal
affection since their arrival at the airport; but had silently remained by
his side with a wary expression all day, simply back-fisting Mousse into
the wall without even looking as Ranma amused himself with Kuno before
clocking the kendoist.  Now she simply shadowed him silently as he walked
outside and looked about for less eerie companionship.
	"'Oy!  Angelo!" he called as he recognized the figure leaning
against the wall.
******

	Angelo Espinosa looked up at the sound of his name and shrugged as
he stubbed out the cigarette and headed over to join his roommate.  As he
strode over, he could not help but wonder about the easygoing boy he met
last night.
	#Weird,# he thought as he glanced down at the skin of his hand, now
drawn somewhat tighter and colored something closer to pink than his
normal slate grey, #everybody that saw me while this was happinin' freaked
and wouldn't come near me... _he_ just- eh?#
	He paused as he felt the intense gaze of the purple-haired woman
standing slightly behind Ranma.  Something about her posture tugged at
him, and he instinctively made ready to either fight or run (depending on
whether his opponent came at him with fists or a firearm) while Ranma
blinked in confusion.  Then Shampoo turned aside, dismissing him as an
immediate threat as she maintained her vigil.
	"What's her problem?" Angelo asked Ranma.
	"I don't understand." Ranma enunciated, shrugging.
	"*sigh* What is wrong with her?" Angelo repeated as clearly and
distinctly as he could.
	"I say I don't-" Ranma began before figuring out the confusion, "I
understand Angelo, I no understand Shampoo!"
	"She ain't sa-" Angelo began
	"I thing he meant he doesn't know, Angelo." Paige helpfully noted
as she, Ukyo, and Akane caught up with them.
	#She reminds me of... me,# Angelo thought as he took another look
at the wary Joketsuzoku, #when I was running through the wrong turf
wearin' the wrong colors and _waitin'_ to get jumped.#
******

	Akane's thoughts also concerned Shampoo, but were a lot less
analytical.
	"<What's _she_ doing here Ranma?>" she glowered as she gestured
towards her fiance's shadow.
	Shampoo glanced at her rival and an expression of annoyance
flashed briefly across her face before she turned aside.  "<Shampoo go to
lunch with husband, Violent Girl.>" she answered tersely.
	#No insults?# something in the back of Akane's mind noted with
surprise, #No threats or taunting?  What's going on?#
	#GRRRRR.# the rest of the aforementioned mind thought, plainly
annoyed at Shampoo's apparent dismissal.
	"<And _why_ are YOU taking HER to lunch?>" she finally snarled at
Ranma.
	"<I didn't do nothin'!>" Ranma protested, "<She's just walking with
me!>"
	"<Womanizing Pervert!>"
	"<Violent Tomboy!>"
	"Are they _always_ like this?" Paige asked Ukyo as she and Angelo
listened to the escalating insults.
	"Un." Ukyo mumbled as she watched the scene before her sadly.
	"Well, 'Least _you_ hide in your books too much to worry about not
having boys to fight over Country Mouse." Angelo observed as he grinned at
the blonde.
	"Right, like your charm's ever had girls fighting over you, Loser."
Paige countered as she stuck her tongue out.
	As Ukyo glanced at her fellow spectators and started feeling even
more depressed; Jonothon closed his brown eyes and sadly turned away from
the window in the dorm, slowly making his way downstairs. 
	Before the bickering outside could continue, a shadow fell across
the walkway from nowhere, all but panicking the humans below.
	"<Good afternoon children.>" Monet said mildly as she hovered
overhead.
	Shampoo glanced upward, her annoyed frown returning to stay.  "Go
away Dark Girl." she said in careful, accented english.
	"[Remember that you are a guest here _little_ _girl_,]" Monet
replied in chinese as she looked contemptuously at the woman near her
(designer) boot tips, "[and show more respect towards your hosts.]"
	"[Respect is given to those who earn it fellow student,]" Shampoo
countered as her eyes narrowed, "[and at least _I_ can defend myself... or
did you forget what happened to that perfect little nose yesterday?]"
	"[I do not have my back turned at the moment.]" Monet said icily as
she drifted down to ground level and stared the shorter woman in the eyes,
"[would you care to refresh my memory?]"
	"<Anybody following this?>" Ranma inquired as he scratched his head. 
Nobody answered
	"They... glowin'?" Angelo asked as he squinted at the two
sinophones, trying to make out the blue auras that shimmered faintly in
the midday sun.
	"Yes," Ukyo said in a worried tone, "is chi... energy from
anger...."
	Shampoo tensed.  Her first instinct was to throw down the gauntlet
and beat some humility into this insufferably arrogant pest. 
Unfortunately not only would such recreation distract her from her primary
purpose here, but by distracting her betrothed she could make him more
vulnerable from an attack from behind. 
	#Decisions, decisions....# she mused.
	"<SAOTOME!  DEFEND YOURSELF!!>" yelled Ryoga from behind them as
Everett groaned, berating himself for not remembering to _avoid_ the Lost
Boy's eternal rival as he guided him to the kitchen/lounge.
	"<RANMA-SAMA!  COME AWAY WITH ME DARLING!!!>" cried Kodachi as she
bounded towards the little knot of students.
	Ranma rapidly thought through the situation.  He actually enjoyed
his usual bouts with Ryoga (bi-weekly or whenever he was in the Tokyo
area, whenever was more frequent), finding him the closest thing to decent
competition he could find on a regular basis.
	Kodachi, on the other hand, scared the dickens out of him.
	"<Not now, P-chan!>" Ranma shouted as he leapt off, "<Gotta run!>"
	"<DON'T - CALL - ME - P-CHAN!!!>" Ryoga bellowed as he charged after
him, Kodachi following with a gleeful laugh.
	Shampoo turned to give one final Glare of Death to Monet before
running to see to her bridegroom's safety.
	Akane sighed and turned around, knowing that her sister had
arrived and expecting her to be taking wagers from the local students
already.
	They both froze.
******

	"K-konichi... ano... g-g-good afternoon." Nabiki babbled nervously,
trying to rally her thoughts into coherence.
	"urm... er... Hello, Nabiki." Monet said, lost those chocolate
brown eyes once more.
	They stood for several seconds, trying to think of something to
say or even think straight period when they noticed the 6 pairs of eyes
staring at them with a no little surprise and confusion.
	Nabiki came to her senses first, striding off in a random
direction as quickly as she could without looking like she was running. 
Monet blinked, assumed a reasonable approximation of her usual aloof
expression, and took off in a vertical direction just as promptly.
	Nabiki happened to glance over her shoulder at that moment, just
in time to see her rise into the sky like a goddess.  Without even
thinking, she followed the mutants path upward as she brought her clenched
hand up from her side.  As Monet lazily arced towards the further reaches
of campus, the sun glimmering off of her blouse and making her skin shine
like bronze, Nabiki snapped a perfect photo with her most expensive
camera. 
******

	Akane, Angelo, Everett, Paige, Shampoo, and Ukyo did little but
stare at the spot where the two 'Junior Icewomen' met and try to figure
out exactly what happened.  Not surprisingly, something else demanded
their attention before they could organize their thoughts.
	"<Hey, watch it!!>"
	*CRASH*
	"BAKUSAI-TEN-KETSU!!!!"
	*BOOM*
	"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!"
	The sounds of random property destruction wafting across campus
brought them all out of their reverie, and all save two ran towards the
source.  Paige glanced at Akane as the latter turned away and snorted, the
she ran off as well. 
	#Idiot brought it on himself.# Akane thought, unconsciously
recalling the daily battles between herself and 20+ lovesick jocks that
sought to fulfill Kuno's requirement for even _thinking_ about asking her
out.  She believed she was skilled in the arts of combat then, and the
boys she constantly beat up tended to agree with her.
	Then Ranma showed up.
	The memory of the compact figure dodging her blows with
embarrassing ease was galling enough; but the realization that of the
freaks that followed her fiance to Nerima, she could only _just_ hold her
own against _one_ of them was utterly infuriating sometimes.
	Her hands faded from sight as she seethed, dwelling on the fact
that she had wound up as a Captured Maiden to be Rescued several times
over the past year or so.  Defeated... helpless....
	"AARRRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" she suddenly screamed, spinning around,
yanking her hands back into reality with a massive wooden mallet clasped
between them, and venting her anger on the ground for lack of a better
target.
	She slumped to the ground and sighed sadly, staring at the cracked
concrete as the mallet faded from existence once more.  Her rational mind
constantly told her that superior skill could only be obtained through
more training, perhaps something along the lines of Ryoga's constant
wanderings.
	*sigh* #But if only I could begin to learn _ONE_ technique,# Akane
thought, #just one single technique that RANMA hasn't mastered or improved
on....#
	Suddenly she perked up and dug into her bookbag, recalling the one
thing that she felt sure she could impress Ranma with.  Something that
occasionally cheered her up anyway.  With a smile of triumph, she pulled
the notes she made on the flight to the 'States.
	With a lighter step, she headed for the kitchen.
******

Basement, Boys' Dorm:

	Jonothan sulked sadly as he walked towards his room, lost in
bitter thoughts of his own.
	#Get it through yer head Jono,# he sighed as he pictured Paige's
smiling face and heard her cheerful laugh in his head as he felt the
scarves/bandages over where his chest once was, #no normal gel'd ever love
a freak like _this_!  Be grateful she even talks t' you without flinching
when she sees what's under-#
	*BONK*
	#Huh?# Jono exclaimed as he rubbed his head, noticing the new wall
for the first time.  He glanced around at the new construction (#So
_that's_ what the noise was last night...#) and stepped through the door
in the wall.
	The chamber was only big enough for one and rather dimly lit in
the center, while three of the walls were starkly spotlighted with
florescent tubes that lit up as soon as he entered.  On the one to the
left were numerous snapshots and mini-posters of Tendo Akane running,
shattering bricks, performing katas, beating people up (usually Ranma),
and so forth.
	The wall to the right was also adorned with pictures, but of a
more risque nature.  The strange girl in these images was asian, with
fire-red hair and a naggingly familiar face; her image captured either
sleeping sprawled out on a futon in a too-tight tank top and boxers, or
hanging around a house and courtyard in various states of undress (and
frequently soaking wet) with an almost mannish casualness.
	The wall directly in front of Jono was totally blank except for a
single word in latin script at the bottom: Monet.
	The mutant called Chamber shook his head and backed out of the
shrine, feeling genuine pity for the objects of worship therein.
******

Outside Garage, XSfGY: 

	Sean Cassidy shook his head as he looked around.  He had read
(translated) reports of the alleged discipline problems and property
damage figures associated with these students, and despite what he and his
daughter saw when they were at the airport he did not... _could_ not
completely believe them.
	Until now.
	He looked first at the rather large crater in the driveway, then
at Ranma (who slouched and hung his head) and Ryoga (who was too busy
glaring at Ranma to notice).
	"Would any of ye' kindly tell me how this happened?" he asked
sternly, silently cursing his nonexistent japanese.
	"It was... that monster Hibiki," Kodachi gasped dramatically,
demonstrating the immunity she had developed to her potions by shoving the
bouquet out of her face and using the wall to push herself to her feet,
"He has *cough* pledged to kill *gasp* my beloved... only wanted to
defend...."
	"I guess Ranma and Ryoga have a bit of a rivalry going Mr. 
Cassidy." Everett noted with a sigh, "They claim to get into um... tussles
like this quite a bit back home."
	Sean sighed and rubbed his temples as he contemplated the prospect
of 'frequent tussles' that caused more property damage in one day than
normally occurred in a month.
	"Maybe you need a more structured setting in which to work off
your... frustrations." Emma Frost observed as she stepped around the
corner, "There are a few clearings in the Biosphere where we routinely use
for self defense training.  Perhaps we should have regular sparring
sessions in there as opposed to...." she gestured eloquently, pretending
to ignore Ryoga's nervousness, "Beginning tonight, perhaps?"
******

	#_Why_ did ye do that Emma?# Sean thought as the two administrators
left the scene of battle.
	#Aren't _you_ the one who prefers the 'carrot' when dealing with
the children in our care?# Emma responded smugly, #In any case, we now
have a perfect opportunity to examine these 'advanced martial arts'
firsthand.  Not to mention avoiding further damage to most of the grounds
by focusing most of the fighting in the Biosphere.#
	#One question then, Emma.# Sean asked, #What will we do about
Penance?#
	#...#
******

Early Afternoon; Woodlands; XSfGY grounds:

	"<Get _back_ here you JERK!!!>"
	"<I ain't suicidal yet, Tomboy!>"
	The shouting would have gained Logan's attention almost anywhere
on campus.  As it were, once he had browbeaten Genma into submission and
set him to work on one of the more tedious extra credit assignments, he
had retired to the forests toward the back of campus to contemplate how to
tell Shampoo the truth about this school and it's purpose without having
to cripple her if she got violent.  As he considered how his current
vulnerability complicated his chosen life, the approaching teens attracted
his attention and the sound of a fall prompted him to investigate.
	As for Ranma, he had been avoiding another of Akane's 'treats' in
the most expedient manner he knew.  Unfortunately, he couldn't resist
teasing her by staying only just ahead of her and tossing the occasional
wisecrack over his shoulder instead of running flat out.  One insult
tossed behind him at the wrong time and a patch of old leaves underfoot
demonstrated the folly of this tactic, and before he could scramble to his
feet Akane was upon him.
	Akane was straddling her betrothed's chest and trying to force a
hamburger into his mouth when a shadow fell across them both, scaring her
half to death as she jumped to her feet to find the canadian not a meter
from them. 
	"<Well?>" he said after a moment of cool observation.
	"I... ano... cooked this for Ranma..." Akane answered as she
blushed crimson and held out the slightly battered burger, "... but he...
ran away."
	"She try poison me!" Ranma protested.
	Logan raised an eyebrow at the boy, than looked at Akane and
discreetly sniffed the item in question.  Taking this as a request, Akane
politely handed it to him.
	#No toxins I recognize in here...# thought Logan as he looked at it
with a dubious expression, #... but this smells... wrong.# Then his saw
Akane's worried and expectant expression out of the corner of his eye and
sighed inwardly.  Cursing his paternalistic weakness for teenage girls, he
took a bite of the hamburger, chewed quickly, and swallowed.
	Then the cramps hit.
	The mutant clutched his belly as he staggered back, the 'food'
crushed forgotten between his fingers and as he leaned heavily against the
tree and began breathing deeply, waiting for his recuperative powers to
break down the... substance he had swallowed.  After one of the longest 20
seconds he had experienced lately, he opened his eyes to see Ranma's
worried face inches from his own.
	"<You OK sensei?>" Ranma asked.
	"Yea, fine." Logan responded in a hoarse voice as he levered
himself away from the tree, picked bark from the back of his sweater with
his clean hand, and wiped his brow with the back of his other one. 
Spotting Akane's dejected form behind Ranma, he debated being diplomatic
for a moment, then sighed and leveled with her.  "<Kid,>" the mutant said
bluntly, "<you can't cook.>" 
	"<Told'ya>" Ranma piped in.
	Akane slugged the boy in the gut, then sighed sadly.  "<Sensei's
still standing,>" she said to herself, "<at least that's an improvement.>"
	Logan jerked his head up at that last statement, then stepped
around Ranma to look her directly in the eye.  "<How many of those did you
make, Akane?>" he asked the startled girl, his voice tense and his eyes
hard.
	"<A-about fifteen S-sensei,>" Akane stammered fearfully, "<enough
for the whole cla->"
	Logan broke into a sprint towards the center of campus.
******

Student Lounge, near Girls' Dorm, XSfGY

	"<What foul malady doth strike down the mighty Blue Thund-*URRGH*>"
Kuno Tatewaki groaned as he lay writhing on the ground.
	"Easy Ev," Jubilee said as the Everett sat beside her with his head
between his knees, "you're gonna be OK... just breath deep."
	"Just got th' meat yesterday." Paige gasped out between heaves as
she bent over the sink in the adjacent kitchen, "_How'd_ it go bad like...
*ULLPP*"
	"Was not the meat," Ukyo corrected, trying not to look at the
extensive greenish-grey folds of skin hanging off of Angelo as he slumped
against the sink, "it was Akane."
	Logan muttered a curse under his breath as he burst into the room. 
He glanced at Jubilee and beckoned the self-appointed medic to a corner of
the room as Ranma burst into the door.
	"Ranma-sama!" Kodachi said as she looked up from the chemistry
equipment she was using to analyze the hamburger and leapt toward him,
"<You're safe from that ha- *CLANG*>"
	"Your girl tryin' t' kill us, Saotome?" Angelo asked his roommate
wearily as Ukyo re-holstered her battle-spatula.
	"No!" Ranma replied defensively, "Was aku... asa... mistake!"
	"Akane-san meant no harm," Ryoga said darkly after guzzling another
liter of soda in an attempt to wash the foul taste from his mouth, "she
just tried to cook a... lunch that _someone_ would appreciate enough to at
least _taste_!"
	"PAIGE!!" Akane yelled in dismay as she arrived on the scene, "I
sorry!  I no try to-"
	"Geez Louise 'Kane!" Jubilee exclaimed from over Logan's shoulder,
"What'd ya _put_ in those things?!?"
	"Jubilation." Logan said evenly, silencing the girl before she
could begin ranting.
	"<There's plenty of anti-toxin the school infirmary,>" Logan told
the other students, "<I'll bring some back here, then we'll take everybody
who's ill to their rooms.  Oh, and world history's postponed for an
hour.>"
	"Sensei please," Akane said shyly, "may I help in the i- i-?"
	"Iie." Logan said firmly, "<You stay and help Jubilee and the
others, I'll get it on my own.>"
	With that, he walked out the front door.
	Nobody noticed Shampoo follow him out a moment later.
******

Basement, Main Building, XSfGY:

	Shampoo crept silently down the hall, following the unconcerned
steps that echoed from around the corner.  #Why not take them to this
'infirmary' when they are so ill?# the Jokutsuzoku thought, #And why would
he insist on going alone unless there was something to hide?#
	She had tracked Logan from the narrow shadows as best she could as
he crossed the courtyard apparently lost in thought.  In all honesty, she
would have rather taken him from behind the moment the reached the
apparently empty basement and beaten some much desired answers out of him,
but she had the feeling that he was too skilled for her to take down
unaided without rendering him unable to talk and/or making a _lot_ of
noise.  So she followed the inattentive instructor inside on hearing
alone, hoping to corner him for interrogation.
	Suddenly the footsteps froze, and she did likewise.
******

	#Not bad.# Logan mused, #Must've hunted a bit.#
	It was obvious to him that Shampoo was following him (even if she
_had_ escaped his notice outside, her heartbeat was a beacon to his
enhanced hearing at this range).  Thus he had taken a longer route to the
infirmary than he had first intended, intentionally bypassing the major
concealed entrances to the mini-complex Frost built for training her
'special' students when this was the Massachusetts Academy.  Instead
heading for a back door hidden in the basement behind simple false
paneling as the girl shadowed him.
	A direct confrontation in the open was out of the question and he
knew it.  Shampoo was in no mood to sit down and hear an explanation of
her own volition; too confident in her abilities to be frightened into
surrender by the sight of his claws; and too skilled, too fast, and (as
her entrance that morning demonstrated) _way_ to strong for him to stop
physically without using said claws.
	#Gonna have t' talk to her face to face,# the mutant thought as he
stood before the palm-print activated entrance, #and lettin' her wear
herself out on a pair o' titanium bulkheads while I get the medicine back
to the others ain't a bad idea....#
******

	Shampoo blinked in surprise at the silence of the door mechanism. 
A quiet hiss, and she heard Logan walk into a room.  She sprinted around
the corner just in time to see the panel shut.
	#Concealed door in the wall?# Shampoo mused, #Should be easy to
break down... too easy.#
	_Nobody_ as skilled as she sensed Logan was would not have at least
suspected that they were being followed; of this, the Joketsuzoku was
certain.  And to risk using a secret entrance to anywhere when there is a
chance that it could be seen stank of stupidity... or cleverness.
	#It seems 'Sensei' wants me to go through _that_ door...# Shampoo
decided as she focused her mind and reached out of this reality with her
hand, absently recalling the two years she spent mastering what she saw
Mousse do when they were nine... while the boy honed that same skill
beyond what she could ever hope to accomplish.
	#... so I'll make my own.# she smiled as she drew back her bonbori.
******

	Logan suppressed an oath as he heard and felt the sound of steel
on steel, then reached for a nearby console and activated the intercom
system Frost and Kitty insisted on briefing him about. 
	"Should've remembered kid ain't a strong believer in walls." Logan
muttered as he set the speaker near the basement entrance to 'Listen
Only', "If I blew this one...."
	Even with the limitations of the small microphone, Logan could
easily pick up the distinct breathing of a woman fighting back panic by
willpower alone.  After a few seconds, he let out the breath he had been
holding he heard Shampoo control her breathing and begin walking away
fairly calmly.
	#Nothing she saw spooked 'er enough to bolt." Logan concluded as he
headed back to retrieve the broad spectrum anti-toxin stored in the
medi-lab, #Still, I better keep an eye on her.#
	His frown then deepened as he remembered how his one-time sensei
Ogun conjured shuriken or smoke bombs from thin air on occasion and began
to realize exactly _how_ dangerous these kids might be.
******

	Moments before Logan left Shampoo stepped away from the wall, her
face pale and eyes wide in shock as the massive mace dropped from her
fingers.  The paneling and plaster was crushed beneath her blow as she
expected, but beneath the false front was a barrier of some gleaming metal
she had never seen.
	_It_ noticeably dented her bonbori.
	It was obvious to Shampoo that her hosts were hiding something out
of the ordinary and potentially dangerous from her and her companions. 
Moreover, the wisest course of action at the moment struck her as
something along the lines of 'Grab Bike, Grab Ranma, and Get Out Of Here
_Now_!'
	#Hold it!# said something in the back of her mind before she took a
single step, #You have no real idea what's going on here or who knows
about it.  If you panic now and let everybody realize what you something,
who knows what could be done to the ones you leave behind even _IF_ you
got away in one piece.  If you stay and pretend like nothing has happened,
you could get to the bottom of this without anyone being the wiser until
it's too late.#
	Shampoo nodded to herself and carefully slipped out of the
basement after putting the bonbori back where she got it from.
******

Head Administrator's Office; Main Building; XSfGY:

	#Cassidy must be rubbing off on me.# Emma Frost thought as she
recalled her reluctance to rewrite the Joketsuzoku memories and be done
with it. 
	The mutant sighed and shook her head as she sat back in her chair. 
She had sensed Shampoo's suspicion and worry before the girl entered the
building, and it was refreshingly easy to monitor her thoughts as she
trailed Logan to the sub-basement.  When it became clear that the
barbarian would bolt and/or become dangerously violent, she had stepped in
and performed a bit of psionic 'damage control'.  With that task done, she
reached out to another mind exiting the building.
	#Logan what were you _thinking_?!?# the telepath asked.
	#Figured it'd be safer t' tell her everything now that to wait for
her to guess wrong and panic.# Logan replied calmly, #Or do you want her
to run off thinkin' we're th' enemy.#
	#If you had come to me about the girl's suspicions earlier,# Emma
noted, #I could have given her whatever answers she needed without this
subterfuge.#
	#She needs answers she can trust Frost,# he answered bluntly, #not
somebody playin' with her head.# With that, Logan used the training Xavier
gave him to shut Emma out of his head as he headed back to the student
lounge.
******

Late Afternoon; Girls' Dorm, XSfGY:

	Nabiki sat quietly on the porch, lost in thought as quietly soaked
in the sunlight.  She had a brief chuckle moments ago as she recalled the
history texbook she had read earlier and wondered what Kuno's reaction
would be to the chapters on the Pacific War would be, then attempted to
calculate odds on the inevitable fights what would occur both inside and
outside this 'school's' BioSphere.
	Now she stared silently at the photograph of one of those destined
to do battle and found herself dreaming of flight, of being carried into
the clouds by gentle brown hands that could rend steel, of looking into
those eyes and....
	#What am I _thinking_!!!!# Nabiki mentally yelled, #I mean she's
attractive and all but so's Ranma!  Really what does she have except for
those eyes... that hair... that smooth skin... her voice... I wonder what
her laugh is like?#
	"<Tendo Nabiki.>"
	"<WHA- oh, it's you.>" Nabiki dead-panned as she noticed Kuno
Tatewaki standing before her with the familiar expression of warring pride
and desperation on his face, "<By the way, shouldn't you be in bed?>"
	"<'Tis true I was felled by the same strange plague that struck down
all those the Dark Mage Saotome did not see fit to protect,>" Kuno
proclaimed, "<but though the gaijin scholars of this place languish in
their sick-beds, be assured that The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High... is
made... of sterner....>"
	"<Sorry Kuno-chan,>" Nabiki said as her best customer picked himself
up from where he fainted, "<no new photos of Akane today, and your
'Pig-Tailed Goddess' is nowhere to be found at the moment.>"
	"<In truth, I have little need for images of those two glorious
beauties at the moment,>" Kuno announced (much to her surprise), "<For
this day I wish to see... HER!>"
	Nabiki blinked in surprise and paled slightly as she remembered
that the photograph she had been mooning over was still in her left hand. 
She moved to conceal it but martial arts trained and lust motivated
reflexes proved more than her match.
	"<My Moorish Idol....>" Kuno whispered as he stared at the picture,
then he dug into his robes to pull out a bulging wallet.  "<For this one,
single, exquisite image,>" the kendoist proclaimed, "<I would pay 2500,
5000, nay 10,000 yen!!>"
	Nabiki sat frozen as Kuno ranted; eagerness, even greed at the
prospect of a single photo making her more money than two rolls of film
containing her usual models would have warring with... something else.
	"Hey, what's going on down there?" Paige groaned loudly from within
her room overhead.
	"...."
	"<15,000?>"
	Nabiki clenched her eyes shut as she snatched the wallet from
Kuno's hand, wrenched out the final amount by feel, and unceremoniously
dropped it as she half-ran towards the woods.  The coldly rational side of
her mind told her that it was simply a photo of an attractive woman,
something she sold to the idiot on a regular basis.
	But then why did she feel so... dirty?
******

Evening; BioSphere, XSfGY:

	"OOOF!"
	*THUD*
	Saotome Genma picked himself up from where he landed after being
knocked out of the air; embarrassment over being shown up by his own
student warring with pride in his son and heir as he watched Ranma
complete his leap by bouncing off a large oak and landing lightly on both
feet before strolling to his side and bowing with him to their audience.
	"Awesome." Jubilee muttered from where she sat beneath a tree, her
normal 'cool' shattered by awe at the sight of over ten minutes of midair
combat between nominally earth-bound opponents.  Ranma _thought_ he
noticed someone else watching them from behind her during his third (or
was it fifth) mid-air pass, but could see nothing but deeper shadows
whenever he got a chance to look. 
	"<Looks like age's catchin' up with you Pop.>"  Ranma said to the
older man with a cocky smirk.
	#Now if only the boy'd learn to respect his elders.# Genma thought
sourly.  Instead of yelling at him as usual, he decided to demonstrate his
own mastery and dropped down to sweep the boy's feet out from under him.
	An eyeblink later he found himself flat on his back with his son
standing on his chest with his hands in his pockets.  "<Yup,>" Ranma
muttered as he shook his head, "<definitely gettin' old.>"  Ranma then
hopped off and turned toward the opposite end of the clearing as a
familiar form in jeans and a tank top stepped from the shadows opposite
Jubilee.
	"<Interesting technique Saotome-san.>" Logan noted with genuine
interest, "<Mainly airborne attacks?>"
	"<Of course, Logan-sensei.>" Genma responded proudly before
beginning a litany of the history and power of the Saotome-ryu.
	The sound of Kitty hitting the ground hard from the other side of
the clearing promptly ended said litany.
	"Are you OK Pryde-sempai?" Akane asked slowly as she helped Kitty
up.
	"I'll be (ow) fine," the older girl replied, "but 'three out of
five' was _not_ a good idea.  You're stronger than you look."
	"Thank you," Akane beamed, glancing meaningfully at an unusually
contemplative Ranma, "you fight very well too."
	"<Must've been holding back.>" her fiance thought aloud, trying to
understand how Akane could touch a woman capable of dodging too quickly
for _him_ to see her move.
	Akane saw red.  Were she not so winded by her sparring session she
would have beaten him senseless for that crack.  Instead, she made it a
point to trod _heavily_ on his feet as she stormed into the woods.
	After a few minutes she leaned heavily against a large tree and
thought back on the match and Ranma's comment.  To be honest, she was
surprised by the comparative ease with which she beat the Kitty.  While
she _did_ have a vast advantage over Pryde in brute strength and
toughness; the gaijin not only outclassed her in agility and speed, but
her refined fighting style held more than a hint of a ninja's killing
arts.
	#She had trouble blocking....# Akane thought at she replayed the
fight in her head.  It was not as if Kitty did not know the principles of
close quarters defense and evasion in theory, but the difference between
intellectual knowledge and bone-deep reflex was painfully obvious in
comparison to her skills outside of that.
	#She seemed so... distracted too,# Akane realized belatedly, #like
she was concentrating on something else... or resisting her own reflexes.#
******

	"<What'd I do _now_?>" grumbled Ranma as he rubbed his foot in
annoyance and stared off into the trees.
	"<She should be all right.>" Kitty said calmly, cutting off Genma
before he started raving about the boy driving off his fiancee, "<She
probably just needs to blow off some steam.  Nothing in here would hurt
her anyway.>"
	Logan winked at the young woman, than looked Ranma over carefully
for several moments.  "<You think you're good, don't you kid?>" he finally
stated.
	"<No, Sensei.>" Ranma stated with an arrogant smile, "<I _am_
good.>" 
	Logan's eyes gleamed as he cracked his knuckles.  "<Prove it.>"
******

	Ranma was past frustrated.  He would never have willingly admitted
it, but he was beginning to worry.  Within seconds of the sparring
session's beginning it was obvious that Logan could not hope to equal his
speed and agility, nor could he do more than match _Akane's_ physical
strength.
	Half an hour later it was equally obvious that those were the only
two reasons Ranma was still standing.
	Early on in the match, the older man tried aggressive frontal
attacks only to be sent reeling back before he could get in more than one
solid blow.  Then he narrowed his eyes and circled Ranma cautiously,
prodding the boy just enough to force him to attack on his own terms. 
Whenever Ranma did so, he found himself stymied by a bewildering synthesis
of counterstrikes, feints, and attacks from scores of styles he did not
even recognize.  On a few occasions the canadian settled into a pattern
long enough for Ranma to attempt to exploit it, only to send him sprawling
with some esoteric occidental technique from nowhere.  On others he simply
switched from one to another seamlessly, recognizing and ignoring Ranma's
feints with a frightening accuracy he might have expected from Cologne. 
At times Ranma even pierced his defenses to land some good blows, only to
receive at least twice what he dealt before he could get a chance to
retract the limb. 
	#What _is_ this guy?# Ranma wondered as he backed off panting and
narrowed his eyes at the mountain man, #He's not even breathin' hard
and... ain't got a mark on him!?!# Then he glanced from the corner of his
eyes and realized that all the students aside from Ryoga was watching the
fight raptly, even the kid's Akane poisoned had crawled out of bed to join
the audience.
	Ranma gritted his teeth in anger at the prospect of losing so
publicly.  He had not even considered his 'advanced' techniques, nor had
he brought more than a fraction of his full strength into play.  #No.# he
growled inwardly as he dismissed the ideas, #The old man's going down by
skill alone.#
	Even so he redoubled his efforts on the next attack, absorbing
Logan's blows long nought to nail him with body blows to his ribs and a
jumping spin-kick toward his head.  Then as he landed, Ranma went white as
he saw Logan stumble back with a noticeable gash on the side of his face.
	#Masaka!# Ranma gasped as he stepped forward, #I-I _couldn't_ have
hit him that hard!# Before he could draw breath to offer assistance or
call for help, Logan locked eyes with him and a predatory smile spread
across his creased features as he wiped the blood from his cheek.
	The cut was gone.
	Forcing his heart down from his throat, Ranma stepped brought his
hands up in a semblance of a ready stance at Logan's unspoken command to
continue.  The fight did not last much longer.
******

Night; Student Lounge, XSfGY:

	Monet's eyes narrowed as she snatched the massive bouquet out of
Sasuke's hands with one hand and lifted his master from where he kneeled
before her by the back of his robes with the other.  She had come to
Paige's impromptu showing of "The 7 Samurai" in the hopes of finding
Nabiki and possibly getting up enough courage to talk sensibly to her. 
While Paige, Akane, Everett, and Ryoga were watching with some interest; 
Jubilee was yawning, Angelo was sound asleep, Ranma looked like he was
trying to solve a frustrating puzzle while that Purple Haired Maniac was
standing guard over him, and Nabiki was sitting in the back of the room
trying to avoid her gaze.
	Then Tatewaki's buck-toothed ninja/manservant showed up with not
only the _sixth_ flower arrangement of the day, but with 'His Lordship' in
tow as well.
	"<Kuno Tatewaki,>" Monet began coldly, interrupting his poetry
recital as she lifted the boy to head level and looked him in the eye
while crumpling the roses in her free hand like tissue paper, "<Let me
make something perfectly clear. I am not in love with you, I do not find
you exceptionally attractive, I do not particularly like you as a person,
and it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to tolerate your
presence.  Now you _will_ stop sending me flowers, love letters, and other
such 'tokens of affection'; as well as make it a point to avoid me as much
as possible; or there will be an International Incident in the near
future.>
	"<Now have I made myself _perfectly_ clear?>" Monet concluded as she
showed him the green pulp oozing from between her fingers.
	Kuno's brow furrowed in thought and confusion as he hung from the
mutant's hand, as if his mind was trying to bend itself around a concept
that defied the very laws of reality.
	"<You...>" Kuno said slowly at last, "<you would not date me?>"
	Monet just shut her eyes and breathed deeply as she went over the
legal consequences of tearing people in half in a desperate attempt to
keep herself from doing so.
	"<Shot down again, eh Kuno?>" Ranma said as he stuck his head
between Monet's and Tatewaki's. 
	"<YOU!!>" Kuno cried as he twisted toward the pig-tailed boy and
pulled out his shinai, "<Is it not enough for you to enslave the will of
the fair Akane and imprison the alluring Pig-Tailed Goddess with thy dark
magics!?!  Must you also poison the mind of this bronze beauty against my
nobility!!  Never!>"
	Then he launched a flurry of strokes faster than the untrained eye
could see.  Grateful for the distraction, Ranma casually bobbed, weaved,
ducked, and dodged as Monet sighed.
	"<How do you silence this fool?>" Monet asked as a wall cracked and
began to crumble from the air pressure of Kuno's strikes.
	"<Violence usually works.>" Nabiki muttered half to herself from
across the room.
	"I see...." Monet muttered as she turned and examined the pattern
of Kuno's strikes.
	Ranma froze in mid-bend as Monet reached out and snatched Kuno's
blade out of hands with considerable (to _him_) speed, and tossed said
samurai over her shoulder (and into the furthest wall) with a casual flick
of her wrist. 
	Kitty poked her head through the doorway (making sure the door was
open first) and looked on numbly as gravity pulled Kuno out of a fresh
impression in the wall and onto the floor, then turned to glare at Monet.
	"Tatewaki was attacking Ranma, Katherine." the Moor explained
calmly as she carefully examined the wooden blade, "I only threw him in
order to prevent further injury or property-."
	"<The Blue Thunder accepts your challenge my Dark Angel,>" Kuno
cried out as he sat up abruptly, "<for the purity of my love shall
overcome any enchantments placed on-*ungh*!>"
	"... damage" Monet muttered as she snapped the shinai between her
fingers.
	Kitty sighed and shook her head after striking down Kuno with a
side-kick to the his. 
	"Just hit him harder next time, please?" she asked, beginning to
fully realize what she and the others had gotten themselves into.
******

Night; Forest, XSfGY Grounds.

	Logan had been performing katas for over 3 hours now while
contemplating the sparring match earlier that evening.  It was
invigorating to engage in combat for no reason than to demonstrate skill; 
even moreso given that he had done so only infrequently in the past decade
or so, and not at all in recent months.  To fight, not as a berserk half
animal, not as a warrior battling his enemies or avenging past wrongs, not
as a teacher bringing youngsters to their full potential, not even as a
hero defending the innocent; but as a man and artist battling a near-equal
had brought him to a meditative state he had nearly forgotten.  He
recalled pushing himself, pulling out every non-crippling technique he
knew and finding himself needing almost all of them to hold his own
against the stronger and faster opponent.  But still, the blows that
injured him also disturbed him greatly.
	#Ain't surprised the kid _over_-estimated me.# he thought,
realizing how a healing factor that healed minor bruises as quickly as
they are made and granted near immunity to fatigue could give the illusion
of invincibility, #He never lost control, never hit harder than he thought
I could take, but those punches would've went _through_ a normal man's
ribcage.#
	Three months ago, the greatest concern such a miscalculation would
have caused Logan was whether Ranma's hands would heal correctly.  After
Magneto used his powers to leach the unbreakable adamantium from his
skeleton and pull it out of him through his pores, however, he was but
flesh and (regenerative abilities aside) nearly as vulnerable as any
human.  He twisted his torso, forcing himself to feel his muscles slide
along his entire ribcage; even if a fracture along a single rib had healed
cleanly, he would have noticed the callus for the next day if he looked
for it.
	There was no sign they had even cracked.
	Smoothly bringing the kata to a stop, Logan dropped into a full
lotus position and closed his eyes in preparation for a night of
meditation.  As an afterthought, he extended from the back of his hands
the foot-long blades of living bone that he had discovered within his arms
a week after the Avalon incident.  With that done that he sat still and
reached within himself, searching for the place he had found in battle
with Saotome Ranma. 
	If his eyes were open, he might have noticed the faint red glow of
chi, curling smoke-like from his claws.
******

To be continued
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	Now if you've read this much, you may be interested in what is 
next.  So here is a brief outline of the second half of X-Change Students.

HTG
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	Here are a few teasers from the remaining chapters (total of 6):
	Chapter 4: A field trip to New York brings Ranma, Jubilee, Ryoga, 
Logan, and Ukyo to the heart of an already lively town.  Meanwhile an 
accidental discovery, a slit throat, and a long simmering grudge brings 
Shampoo and Monet to _serious_ blows.  Needless to say, a few revelations 
occur here.
	Chapter 5: As Tendo Akane begins her ascent to power, an english
teacher brings down the X-Men and a few old fiends attack the kids in 
Massachusetts.
	Chapter 6: Two Words: Rescue Mission.  The newest students at 
XSfGY release old enemies and older magics to raid the lair of an ancient 
enigma.
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