Guyver Ryoga / Ryoga 1/2 : Worlds in Collision
A fanfic about three alternate Ranma 1/2 Universes
by Mark Latus

Part 1 : Parallel Lines

Early Monday Morning - Tendo Dojo - Ryoga 1/2 Timeline
     
     Ryoga woke up with a start.  He hadn't meant to doze off since being 
found here would certainly complicate life.  Taking care not to wake Nabiki     
he untangled their limbs and slid out of the bed.  He dressed silently then
glided to the door.  A few moments listening told him the house was still
silent.  He eased the door open and stepped into the hallway, closing the
door behind him.  So far so good, now for the tricky part, finding his way 
back to "his" room.  Just a converted closet really but after years of tent 
life anything with a solid roof was a novelty.
     Luckily Nabiki had come up with a way to compensate for his lousy 
directional skills.  He glanced at the floor until he saw the orange line.
Now since that way the line went downstairs and his room was upstairs it must
be that way.  He quietly followed the line to his bedroom (there was room for 
a bed, his backpack and that's about it) and headed inside.  Soun hadn't been particularly
happy with Nabiki drawing colored lines all over the floor but had to admit 
it prevented Ryoga from showing up in the wrong room at the worst possible
time.  
     Ryoga picked up his watch which he'd left on top of his pack.  According 
to it the time was about six, too late to get any more sleep before school.  
He might as well head into the training hall and start his morning workout 
early.  So, pausing only to rumple the futon so it looked slept in, he headed
out to look for the green line.
     It wasn't much later when Ranma came in to join him.  They'd started
working out together shortly after Ryoga began living in the Dojo.
     As Genma had said at the time, "Ranma my boy, it looks like Ryoga will
become part of the anything goes school of martial arts.  Someone has to
bring him up to our standards.  Being closer to his age I'm sure you can do a
better job than me.  You'll begin tommorrow morning."
     As Ranma had said at the time, "Gimmie a break Pop.  You just want to be
able to sleep in and not have to run our morning sparring matches."
     "That's just a coincidence.  Anyway I'm not getting any younger."
     In any event it had become their new morning routine. And if someone got
hurt?  Well accidents do happen.
     Actually they didn't inflict injuries on each other with anything like
their old zeal.  With Ryoga no longer chasing Akane a major conflict had been
resolved.  Of course every time he got wet Ryoga remembered something else he
owed Ranma for.  Still living under the same roof as the Tendos' guests they
felt it incumbent on themselves to act semi-civilized.  So they'd switched 
from open warfare to covert guerilla action.
     Ranma and Ryoga moved to opposite sides of the dojo, bowed briefly then
launched themselves at each other.  Things quickly escalated into a close-in 
battle, both throwing kicks and punches as they attempted to break the others
defenses.  Ranma had to admit these morning sessions were improving Ryoga's
skills.  Ryoga was trying (and succeeding) at blocking Ranma's strikes rather 
than depending on his own strength to withstand impacts.  Ranma still had the 
edge in speed but tried not to use Tenshin Amaguriken during these sessions.
If he did Ryoga started using his own special techniques, they quickly
escalated to throwing chi spheres at each other, large holes got blown in the
walls, and Soun started demanding they pay to fix the dojo.
     Nabiki had come up with a steady way to pay for the repairs but it 
wasn't something either of them liked.
     Ranma ducked to avoid a kick from Ryoga, tried and failed to sweep his
opponent off his feet, rolled clear to avoid Ryoga's counterstrike and 
decided to try a little psychological warfare.  "So Ryoga, how many of you
are there today?"
     Ryoga glared, he was beginning to regret telling the story of what had
happened to him on Saturday.  Admittedly getting abducted into a parallel
world doesn't happen very often.  However he'd had the photos to back up his
story.  He'd done a rush job on developing the film yesterday but the 
reaction hadn't been quite what he'd hoped for.  Nabiki had complimented him 
on his skill and speed in fabricating pictures of groups of himself.  
Everyone else had just looked at him as if he was out of his mind.
     With somewhat strained self control he snarled, "I don't care if you
believe me, I know it happened.  Is it really any weirder than some of the 
other stuff that's happened around here?"  As he said this he leapt at Ranma.
     Ranma dodged and struck as Ryoga flew past.  Ryoga caught the blow on 
his forearms, hit the ground rolling and was on his feet renewing his attack.
As the fight continued they kept talking.
     Starting to work up a sweat Ranma asked, "Come on Ryoga (kick, damn he 
blocked, block punch to ribs), your story's ridiculous!"
     Sweating himself Ryoga answered, "No, turning female every time you get
wet is ridiculous. (Punch, jumpkick, duck and spin, damn! missed).  Alternate
universes is just ... science fiction."
     "Exactly fiction, you made the whole thing up to cover getting lost 
again.  I mean you expect me to believe that anywhere Shampoo and Ukyou would
pick you over me?"
     "I know what I saw!"  Ryoga's voice was getting colder.  Ranma nodded to
himself, when he got mad Ryoga started fighting by strength not skill.  Which
would mean an easy win.
     "And that stuff about the other Ryogas turning into pigs?  That's the
dumbest thing I've ever heard.  Although I admit the animal suits you."
     Ryoga exploded, "OK that's it.  Here I come Ranma!"  He charged. 
     Ranma had planned to simply jump over Ryoga then strike from behind 
sending his opponent crashing into the wall.  Unfortunately he'd 
underestimated Ryoga's speed and mormentum.  Ryoga slammed into him and the
mormentum sent them both throught the wall.  In a ball of splinters and 
intermingled limbs they rolled through the garden coming to rest with a 
splash.  The two girls looked at each other, landing in the pond had cooled
Ryoga down.  "Want to call it a draw", Ryoga-chan asked.
     Ranma-chan shrugged, "Fine.  I think a hot bath is what we need now, if
we hurry we still have time before everyone else gets moving."   She surveyed
the hole, "Damn, I hope there's some money left in the repairs account.  
Otherwise Nabiki 'll be insisting on more bikini oil wrestling photos."
     "Afraid not, she withdrew the last as her consultant's fee for managing
the funds."  A slight white lie, the money had gone into certain house 
renovations but Ryoga wasn't about to describe them.  "At least we've got a 
steady customer in Kuno."
     "That creep."  Something occurred to Ranma.  "Hey if there really are 
worlds where you don't turn female what does Kuno do?"
     "Restricts himself to chasing you and Akane."
     "Lucky you."
     "If turning into a pig is lucky."
     Ranma-chan shrugged, "Whatever.  Look if you let this crossover business
drop I'll do the same."
     Ryoga-chan sighed, no one believed her so why keep on about it, "Fine."
As they headed for the bathroom she asked, "Do you thing Kuno's ever going to
figure out who we really are?"
     "No way, the guy's a total moron.  I've changed in front of him and he
still doesn't get it."
     As they headed inside Ryoga thought about his recent adventure.  While
he might stop talking about it the events had lead to one profound change in
his life.  Nabiki had been manoeuvring for a little while to make their
relationship a bit more physical.  While he wasn't as shy as he'd been before
Jusenkyo (continually turning female had removed a lot of the mystery) he had
been feeling they should wait until they were older.  Of course Nabiki was a
year older than him, still ...  Then he saw himself die.  Well not himself
but the Ryoga of another world.  It brought home just how short life could be.
So shortly after his return to this world he had made it clear to Nabiki he
was ready if she was.  They had taken precautions, one of which had been set
up some days in advance.
     It was during breakfast, a little while later, that it almost hit the
fan.  Akane was studying the people around the table.  Ryoga and Nabiki were
sitting together and looking indecently happy.  Akane figured at this rate
anyone could figure out what those to were up to.  She glanced around the
table, on second thoughts maybe not.  Ranma and her father were oblivious to
anything besides food, Mr Saotome was in his panda form and busy reading the
newspaper and always Kasumi gave the impression of not existing in the same
reality as everyone else.
     At which point Kasumi remembered something.  She pulled an envelope
from her apron pocket and told her sister, "Nabiki I forgot but this letter
arrived for you a little while ago.  I accidently put under a cookbook and
didn't find it until just now.  It seems to be an invoice from the Nakamura
Industrial Quality Soundproofing Company ..."
     Ryoga began choking on his mitso soup.  Nabiki, with a speed Ranma found
impressive, snatched the bill from her sister's hand.  "Oh this, don't worry
about it.  I'll pay this off today, forget about it."
     Everyone stopped to look at Nabiki.  Hearing her volunteer to spend 
money rather than just accumulate it seemed like a violation of the natural
order of the universe.  Even Ryoga, who had recently been part of an actual
violation of reality, would have agreed with this assessment.
     At that point a (sort of) lucky break appeared.  Two well aimed buckets
of water struck Ranma and Ryoga.  Almost as soon as they'd changed sex the
wrinkled form was bouncing between the two of them.
     "Aaaargh!  Happosai!"  Ranma-chan peeled the pervert off her breasts and
tossed him across the table.  Directly into Ryoga-chan.  
     "Aaaargh get off!"  Ryoga-chan ripped the alleged "great master" loose 
and threw him across the room.  Where he immediately latched onto the Ranma.
     "Don't throw him over him moron!  OFF YOU LITTLE CREEP!"
     "I don't want him, AAAARGH!"
     Tossing (and striking) the pervert between them the two former boys 
headed deeper into the house.  Soun and Genma followed, perhaps while
Happosai's attention was on Ranma and Ryoga they could finally get the drop
on their former sensei.
     Kasumi said, "My goodness, everyone's finished so soon."  She began
gathering dishes.  "I'll put some hot water on, I'm sure the boys will want
to change before school."
     She headed into the kitchen.  Nabiki folded the letter and stuck it in
a pocket.  She made a mental note to intercept the bill for the new wallpaper
in her room when it came.  It wouldn't do to have anyone wondering if the
paper was covering anything.  Especially daddy.
     Akane leaned close so she wouldn't be overheard.  "You really lucked out
with that distraction.  A little longer and even Ranma might have figured it
out."
     "I don't know what you're talking about."
     Akane sighed, "Come on.  I was there when Ryoga got back from whatever 
it was that happened to him."
     Nabiki arched an eyebrow at her, "Feeling jealous."
     Akane colored slightly then laughed.  "Me and Ranma?  Come on!  He'd
have to be the last boy in the world.  And even then only if I knew for sure
hell had frozen over."
     She didn't like Nabiki's grin.  From the commotion in the den things 
were getting more serious.  Akane sighed.  She was fed up of constant chaos 
and weird martial artists showing up every hour of the day.  Could life be 
any worse?

*****************************************************************************

Early Monday Morning - Tendo Dojo - Guyver Ryoga Timeline

     One thing Ryoga really wished the Guyver Unit could do for him was 
eliminate the need to sleep.  Since he'd first been joined to it he'd learned
a lot about its powers.  However either it couldn't do that or he didn't know
how yet.  He tried to rationalize it as a desire to protect the others 24
hours a day.  But in his heart he knew it was a desire to avoid the dreams.
     No one can stay awake forever.  About 3 A.M. he'd fallen asleep.  At
first his sleep was dreamless, but spurred by either the Guyver unit or his
own guilt the dreams began towards dawn.
     In the dream he was wandering aimlessly through a forest, no idea where
he was or how he got there.  Nerima had to be around here somewhere.  That 
was when the voice called his name.  Before him was something that looked like
a fat discus.  Through openings in the metal the organic fibers coiled inside
could be seen.
     The voice whispered to him, "Ryoga, you want to be the greatest fighter 
who ever lived.  I can give you that.  Pick me up and you'll be invincible.
No one will be able to stand against you.  That's what you want isn't it?"
     Yes, that was what he wanted.  No more being made to look like a fool in
front of Akane.  As he reached for it the device became a crown.  He placed
it on his head.  The voice whispered, "All hail Ryoga Hibiki, the greatest
warrior of all time!"  In a colder voice it whispered to him, "Now here are
your opponents.  Prove you are the greatest."
     Huge monsterous, dark but ill defined shapes surrounded him.  As they
got closer they took the shape of mythical creatures.  It didn't matter, 
Ryoga could feel the power burning within him.  He launched himself at his
foes, nothing could stand before him!  Dragons, Ogres, Oni all fell before 
him in a spray of blood and crushed bone.  This was triumph, he shook a fist
at the sky and laughed.
     Then the ground erupted before him.  The people who had lain under the
ground crawled out of their graves and stood before him.  They were all dead,
their injuries made that clear.  Ukyou's intestines spilled from the slash
running from her abdomen to just below her neck.  Moose held his severed head 
cradled before him in his hands.  The burned and crushed one had to be 
Happosai, only the small stature made him identifiable.  Genma was the 
neatest looking of the four.  Except for the circular hole in his chest where  
the horn had penetrated he looked almost alive.
     Though they were silent Ryoga could hear them.  The words, "you killed 
us" kept echoing through his mind.  He stepped back, away from his accusers.
They didn't follow, they just stood there watching him.  
     He stopped, memory and dream intermingled.  "No", he told them, "I 
didn't kill you, Kronos killed you."
     "They didn't want us", Ukyou whispered emotionlessly, "They wanted you."
     "We just got in their way.", Genma added tonelessly.
     "I wouldn't have been caught in that attack if you weren't there", 
Mousse told him.
     "I died helping you", the thing that had been Happosai croaked.
     "You chose to do that Happosai.  We owe you our lives for that.  But 
your blood, all of your blood, is on Kronos's hand.  They murdered you.  I
do not accept your judgement.  I didn't kill you!"  Ryoga spoke with 
confidence.  He was not the guilty one here, Gyro and those other Kronos 
bastards were the killers.
     "But you did kill me Ryoga."  Unlike the others the voice from behind 
him sounded alive.  It was gently reproachful and instantly recognisable.
     Ryoga felt his blood turn to ice.  She was behind him, he had to turn.
But he couldn't face her!  But he had to!  He didn't want to see her!  He had
to look!  He couldn't!
     He heard footsteps behind him and spun.  Kasumi, looking very alive,
stood about six feet behind him.  She held out her arms to him and stepped
closer.  Ryoga backed away.  The dead were behind him but he didn't care,
Kasumi was far more terrifying.  "Get back!"
     She stopped advancing and gently told him, "It's all right.  I'm not 
here to hurt you."
     "Don't come any closer!"
     Her voice was soothing, "You did what you had to, there was no other 
way."
     "Stop it!"
     "I forgive you."
     "KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"  Ryoga fell to his knees.  She couldn't forgive him, 
no one could.  He'd saved Nabiki but the cost!  Then he heard Nabiki scream 
again and it was getting louder and ... outside?  And he was waking up and he 
still heard Nabiki screaming.  He was awake and back in the guest room Ranma 
and his father had shared.  Before Genma died and Ranma moved in with Akane.
     He wasn't dreaming anymore but Nabiki was still screaming!  He dived for
the door, on the verge of triggering the Guyver Unit.  In the next room Ranma
and Akane snapped awake and headed for their door.  Soun slept on, locked in
his own nightmares one more scream was nothing new.
     Nabiki had her own nightmares, after what she'd been through it would
have been strange if she didn't.  The same dream kept repeating over and 
over again.
     It always began the same way, more of a memory than a dream.  They had 
succeeded in rescuing Kasumi from the Kronos installation.  In the confusion
Ranma, Akane and Soun had become separated form them.  Nabiki had insisted on 
joining the rescue, she had figured separating from the fighters would be 
more dangerous to her than travelling with them.  Now she, Ryoga and Kasumi 
were the only ones around.  Ryoga, in the Guyver armour was carrying the semi
conscious Kasumi.  She mumbled occasionally but didn't seem really aware of
her circumstances.
     Ryoga had been scanning for the others when the transformation began.
Suddenly Kasumi had howled and her body began to stretch.  Her hands morphed
into claws, white fur exploded from under her skin, four insectlike pinchers
ripped out of her back.  In seconds she was gone and the thing stood in her
place.  
     As the transformation began Ryoga had dropped her and rolled away fast.  
He studied the creature from a distance and Nabiki heard him whisper, 
"Enzyme!"  Nabiki remembered the name, that was the creature that had ... 
well, killed him.  He'd been recreated by the Guyver unit but he'd never 
really gotten over the expeience.  It would be later that Nabiki learned the 
creature her sister had become was a more advanced form of the Enzyme 
Zoanoid.
     Instinctively Ryoga targeted the Zoanoid.  Then froze, this was Kasumi, 
he couldn't hurt her.  It spat something at him, he dodged but caught a few 
droplets and felt them burn.  Just like the original version this one could
destroy him with bioacid.  Worse, it didn't need to touch him to use the 
acid.  It charged him with incredible speed for something so big.  He dodged
and kept dodging.  Its strikes were fast and without hesitation.  It wasn't
going to stop until it nailed him.  As he weaved to avoid it he kept calling 
her name, hoping for some sign of her.  There was none.
     Watching them Nabiki realized that unless Kasumi stopped trying to kill
him Ryoga would have no choice but to use the Guyver's power.  Which would
kill Kasumi!  She had to stop this, Kronos couldn't have wiped out all traces
of Kasumi's mind!  Not so quickly, it just wasn't possible.  Please, that had 
to be right.
     Ryoga had jumped backwards about fifteen metres to give himself room to 
manoeuvre.  Nabiki had taken the opportunity and dashed between them.  
Ignoring Ryoga's frantic call for her to get clear Nabiki had addressed her 
sister.  The creature had looked down at her in some puzzlement as she 
pleaded with it.  "Please Kasumi, I know you're in there somewhere.  This 
isn't you, you hate violence.  You've got to come back now, if you don't 
he'll hurt you.  You've got to stop this, we, I need you.  Show me you're in
there somewhere."  She was crying by this point, "For God's sake ... come 
back to your family.  We love you!"
     It was an impassioned and moving speech.  Unfortunately the Kronos 
technicians had done a good job of brainwashing.  The artificial personality
they had constructed didn't know it was part of Kasumi Tendo.  The thing
before it was not a Zoanoid and was blocking the way to its prey.  That made
it a target.  
     One of its pinchers slashed downward, catching Nabiki across the face.
She screamed as the pain hit and fell to the ground.  The Zoanoid swept its
right arm back for the killing strike.  On the ground clutching the left side
of her face Nabiki watched the claw coming down!
     She heard Ryoga scream her name and then the world exploded into light.
The megasmasher burst burned over her head and enveloped the creature.  
     At this point dream and memory parted company.  In the real world the
Zoanoid had been vaporized almost instantaneously.  In the dream the figure
in the light became Kasumi again.  She began screaming as her clothing 
ignited, and continued as her skin blackened and burned away.  Her flesh
melted leaving a skelton somehow still screaming in the midst of the nuclear
fire.  Kasumi's screaming merged with Nabiki's own as she broke from dream
to the dubious safety of the real world.
     Nabiki's scream was beginning to end as Ryoga slammed through the door.
He was looking for a target, on the verge of summoning the Guyver.  Crying
she grabbed him, needing to hold someone.  Ryoga was feeling distinctly 
uncomfortable as Ranma and Akane followed him in.  "Just another nightmare", 
he muttered.  He was still more at ease with violence than emotion.  
     Nabiki realized who she was holding and released him.  She looked very
vulnerable in her nightdress and without the patch that normally covered her
left eye.  The scar that ran the length of her face looked brighter than 
usual.  Sniffing she told them, "Just that dream again.  Don't be so tense
you guys.  I'm fine, really."
     Akane hugged her sister feeling Nabiki's shakes subside.  With a little
more insight than usual Ranma told Ryoga, "Hey let's go start our morning
workout.  The girls have stuff to talk about."
     Happy for the distraction Ryoga followed him out, "Uh yeah, sure.  But
shouldn't you put some clothes on first?"  Turning a bit red Ranma ducked into
Akane's room.
     A little while later in the dojo proper the two of them faced off.  It
wasn't much of a contest.  Ranma kept tagging Ryoga easily, far too easily. 
Ryoga didn't use to be this bad.  "Come on man, you're not even trying."
     Ryoga picked himself off the floor.  "No I'm not.  What's the point?
None of our skills do more than scratch the Zoanoids.  There's only one thing
that works against them and I'm beginning to hate it almost as much as I
hate Kronos."  He remembered his dream, you get to be the best, but the price
is more than you can bear.
     Ranma walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder.  "Ryoga, you've 
done what you had to do.  If you hadn't found the Guyver unit a lot of people
would still be ali..."  Ranma's voice wavered.  He continued, "A lot of 
people have been killed, Ukyou and my father among them.  But Kronos are the 
ones who did it.  They were always in the shadows, killing to protect their 
secrets.  From what that bastard Gyro said they're getting close to 
attempting their world conquest scheme.  There's no saying how many will 
suffer and die during that!  But now we have a chance to fight them, and 
you're the key."
     Ryoga sighed, "I'm ready to fight them, but where do we go?  When the
Kronos building came down we lost our only lead to them.  They're out there
somewhere but how do we find them?"
     Ranma was silent, he had no answer.  Still they probably wouldn't have
to find Kronos.  Kronos kept finding them.
     Upstairs Nabiki had calmed down, at least on the outside.  Inside 
contradicting thoughts bounced around her mind.  "He murdered my sister!  He
saved my life!  It's all his fault!  It's all Kronos's fault."  She forced a
smile, "So shouldn't we be getting ready for school?"  A tired joke, they had
dropped out some weeks back.  There had been some close calls when classes
separated them.  As well their presence had endangered the other students.  
It had become apparent Kronos intended to eliminate everyone who knew about
Ryoga and the Guyver unit.  So they stuck together.  The four of them and
Father were the only ones left who knew the secret.
     Which left the question what did they do now?
     Strangely school, Kronos and Guyver units were on the mind of one other
person.  Across town at the Kuno Mansion Tatewaki Kuno examined the device
on the table before him.  Sasuke had retrieved the device yesterday.  Neither
of them knew what it was but both knew that the people in Kronos wanted it 
badly.  
     Kuno had been recruited to Kronos's cause by a man of noble bearing who
had told him that Kronos, an organization of those superior to the common
dross, wished to bring humility to the odious Saotome and his repellant 
friend Hibiki.  To properly administer justice they required someone to keep 
them informed of their activities.  Further to ensure they were not 
mistreating the Tendo sisters someone must keep an eye on them.  Sadly they
did not have an agent at Furikan High who could accomplish this.  However
in surveying the school they had discovered one youth who possessed the 
nobility that Kronos required.  They would be humbly greatful if he be 
willing to become part of their venture.
     Kuno had, of course, fallen for this and signed up.  He was unaware he
was actually just a first circle agent.  These being the outer ring of the
Kronos operation who know little about the true goals and objectives of the
corporation.  The existence of Zoanoids isn't mentioned until ascension to
the second circle.  At the time it was felt an agent in Furikan would be
useful.  But then the targets dropped out so Kuno became inactive as an
agent.  His only contact with them recently had been the arrival of a memo
detailing a device called a Guyver unit.  All agents were advised to look for
it and contact Kronos if they found it.  There were various warnings 
concerning what not to do if it was found.  The matter being of little 
interest Kuno had told Sasuke to take care of it.
     The family's ninja servant had come through.  After weeks of searching 
he had located the device and brought it to Kuno.  Kuno had decided to wait
until monday to inform Kronos about his find.  This should make them truly 
appreciate his value.  He was merely uncertain if he should call them before
he went to school or after he came home.
     He examined the device once again.  It was a strange looking thing, it
resembled a fat hollow discus with a core of thick pink fibers.  Whatever it
was for he couldn't imagine.
     At which point Kodachi entered the living room.  She would delight in
spoiling his triumph.  He quickly grabbed the device and moved his hand 
behind his back. 
     "Why brother dear, whatever are you hiding?" Kodachi asked, attempting 
to sound innocent.  She didn't do a very good job.
     "Nothing that concerns you wench", Kuno answered coldly.  At which 
point, somewhat belatedly, he remembered an important point on the memo.  It 
had read "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT BARE SKIN TO CONTACT THE GUYVER 
UNIT".  The same device he was now holding behind his back in his left hand.
"Did I err?"  he asked rhetorically.
     The answer was presumably yes because the Guyver unit activated its 
merger process.  Pseudopods exploded from the device and wrapped themselves
around Kuno.  He screamed, first in surprise, then in pain as the Guyver began
integrating itself to his nervous system.  Kuno became a writhing, howling
mass of tentacles on the floor.
     Kodachi was a little surprised by this turn of events.  She had come in
here to torment her brother prior to departing for St. Bacchus's school for
the slightly psychotic.  Now she was witnessing her brother apparently being
consumed by one of the extras from "Legend of the Overfiend".  While it might
be entertaining to watch she would wind up being late.  Besides once it was
finished with Kuno it might be unhealthy to be in the same room as it.  In
the videos those things with tentacles preferred doing unpleasant things to 
female victims.  So it would be wisest to leave.
     Still she did feel a minor responsibility to help her brother.  So on 
her way out she kicked Sasuke awake, told him Kuno required assistance and
left.  Sasuke took one look in the living room then departed to seek an
exorcist.  Behind him the merger of man and alien continued.
     Across town, at the headquarters of Tempus Research and Development
Incorporated Commander Gyro had arrived.  With the destruction of the Tokyo
branch of the Kronos Corporation this subsidiary was the only base remaining
in Tokyo.  Tempus's director was glad he had anticipated Gyro's early 
arrival, everything was ready.  Still what he saw wasn't going to put Gyro
in a good mood and it's never a good idea to upset a Zoalord.
     Gyro was escorted to the screening room.  "Welcome to Tempus ...",  
Director Nagaoka began. 
     Gyro cut him off, "You have the tape of yesterday's incident?"
     "Uh yes sir, we've finished enhancing it and ..."
     "Roll it then."
     "Yes sir."  Nagaoka dimmed the lights.  He was sweating, normally he 
just had to worry about research.  Tempus had been set up to test alien
technology whose functions seemed ambiguous.  Sometimes they found useful
weapons but mostly it was material designed to serve more mundane purposes.
The hypersonic disrupter that turned out to be the alien equivalent of an
electric shaver was a prime example.  But with Kronos Japan gone combat
missions were getting based out of Tempus.  The last one of which had been
a total disaster.  Along with something of a mystery.
     A still picture of a street flashed up on the large wall screen.  Nagaoka
decided to summarize events to this point.  "As you know sir the plan was 
relatively simple.  While Hibiki was isolated from the others team one moved
in.  The idea was Hibiki converts to the Guyver in response to the threat 
posed by the Gregore and Ramothis Zoanoids.  When he does so the two Enzyme 
Mark 2 units activate and kill him.  At which point team 2 would enter the
Tendo home and kill everyone inside."
     Gyro looked at him, his eyes glowed red.  "What went wrong."
     "Uh well we don't exactly know.  The observer on the scene claimed 
Hibiki wiped out all four Zoanoids without activating the Guyver.  The 
observer was killed and all his recording equipment was destroyed.  We think
by some sort of highly localized electromagnetic pulse."
     Gyro was looking impatient.  Nagaoka decided to hurry.  "Anyway before
he died the observer managed to call in the second team for support.  There
were no survivors but when we examined the scene we realized a surveillance
camera on a nearby bank machine might have caught some of the action.  It 
took considerable computer enhancement but we reconstructed some of the
action.  If you'll observe the upper right quadrant."  He fiddled with the
remote and expanded that section to encompass the whole screen.  He started 
the image running.
     On the screen a somewhat grainy figure resembling Ryoga Hibiki appeared.
The figure suddenly dived to the side.  As he did a glowing sphere formed
between his hands and launched itself at something offscreen.  The picture
vanished in a flare of light.  It resolved itself in time to show Hibiki
throwing a bandanna at an unseen target.  It circled back to him, he caught
it and walked offscreen.
     The director froze the picture.  "The time index on the tape corresponds 
to the time the second Zoanoid team was wiped out.  Beyond that we know very 
little."
     After a moments thought Gyro said, "We've known for some time that it
is possible for some humans to channel their chi energy.  In fact I have
scientists who theorize it results from possessing activated Zoanoid genes."
     "With respect sir it doesn't explain the circumstances.  Hibiki has been
shown to be capable of chi generation but not at a level that could hurt a
Zoanoid.  Except maybe at pointblank range and given the time required to
generate the power he wouldn't live long enough to strike.  Besides chi
bursts result in kinetic impacts, from the burn marks where the Zoanoids died
they were hit with a burst of high intensity heat.  We suspect the sphere he
generated was some sort of focused plasma.
     "How is this possible?"
     Nagaoka almost said "we have no real idea".  But as he hoped to survive
this meeting he'd ordered his staff to think of something.  Dr. Maxwell had
given him an answer, for a small price.  So he said, "We have a theory Sir.
As you recall Hibiki was apparently killed by the Enzyme prototype.  Instead
his mind was absorbed by the control medallion which then rebuilt his body
by cloning from genetic traces."  Gyro remembered the incident well.  It had
ended with him trapped in the collapsing Kronos building.  That ridiculous
little dwarf had destroyed the support pillars.  He'd been fatally wounded
but blown the plastique he'd planted before he died.  Then the walls came
tumbling down.  Gyro had survived but it had been closer than he liked to
admit.
     "Your point being?"
     "Well we assumed the Guyver unit had constructed a body physically 
identical to Hibiki's original form.  What if it didn't?  What if it 
reconstructed him so the merger between him and the unit was closer.  So that 
he has access to some of the Guyver's weapon systems while in his "human" 
form.  It could be that despite appearances he's as far from human as we are."
     "There is a certain logic to that.  I will think on this.  Leave me."
     "Yes sit but before I go ..."
     "Make it quick Director."
     "We would be delighted if you could have a look at some of Doctor 
Maxwell's work on the alien propulsion systems.  He's found some fascinating
things ... "
     Gyro cut him off, "Will it serve as a means of fighting, tracking or
neutralizing Guyver Units?"
     "Not as such Sir."
     "Then I'm not interested.  After we take over it might be useful but 
until then pure research is useless to Kronos.  Now go."
     Nagaoka left to tell Maxwell he wouldn't be getting an extension on his
current project.  It would have to be abandoned for the time being.  Maxwell
would be far from happy.
     Behind him alone in the darkened room Commander Gyro, one of the twelve
Zoalords who rule Kronos groaned.  He rested his head on his hands, this
whole Guyver project was turning into a nightmare.  His own plans for using
the Guyver units were on hold.  He had to recover the damn things before the
whole council turned on him.
     Initially everything was fine, the units were recovered and awaiting
study.  Then a defector ran off with the only three existing units.  The
units were scattered and that damned Hibiki found one of them.  Tracing him
proved next to impossible, no one seemed to know where to find him.  If he
hadn't shown up in Nerima to settle an old score they'd still be looking for
him.  
     Meanwhile the second unit was recovered damaged leading to its 
destruction in a battle with Hibiki.  The third unit was recovered but the
truck transporting it was blown open by an armour piercing rocket.  Obviously
an inside job, who outside Kronos knew the units had any value?  The attacker
had fled without the unit but whoever it was remained at large.  In the 
confusion the third unit was lost again.   Gyro had sent word to have every
agent in Japan search for it.  He needed it and quickly.  So far not a clue.
Where was it.
     As a Zoalord Gyro was supposed to be above the petty ailments of mere
mortals.  Despite which he was sure he was developing an ulcer.
     Meanwhile in a lab nearby Dr. Maxwell had just received the bad news. He
stalked around the lab swearing and occasionally breaking unimportant 
glassware.  His staff were taking bets on if he'd transform and start punching
holes in the concrete walls.
     Then Maxwell calmed down, there was a strange look in his eyes.  He
smiled, "Gyro wants a way to neutralize the Guyver and nothing else eh.  Well
I think I know how to provide it."  He looked at his staff, "We're going to
resume our dimensional displacement experiments.  If I'm right we can send 
the Guyver on a one way trip to infinity".

Continued


Next in part 2: Ranma vs Guyver Kuno
                Ryoga vs Ryoga?
                Zoanoids, Androids and other weirdness 
                
Coming soon: Part 2 - Entangled Lines