Captured!

The crew led the police to the most likely place for the baby farm to be according to the map, an innocuous seeming factory that ironically manufactured baby clothing, toys and furniture. “Are you sure that we’re at the right place?” Ranma asked when he viewed the sign of a smiling cartoon baby.

“According to the map it is,” Detective Yoshizumi replied. He had managed to talk local law enforcement into letting his men help out and convinced a judge to issue a search warrant.

“I’m kind of dubious myself,” replied Chief Tanaka of the local police. “I know people that have worked there for years,” he replied.

“It might be worth checking out, lots of places around here have hidden tunnels and it would be easy to stash people there with some minor renovations,” Detective Yoshizumi pointed out. The turned to Ranma and said, “We’ll check it out, you kids have to stay here,” he ordered.

Ranma growled, “We’re coming with you, if Akane’s in there; I’m going to be the one who finds her.”

“Ranma I respect that you and your friends are excellent martial artists and know you want to help, but it could get dangerous in there. Just stay here and let us do our jobs” Detective Yoshizumi implored.

“Fuck that!” Ranma yelled and jumped over the fence followed by Ryoga, Ukyou, Shampoo, Cologne, Kodachi and Kuno. They stormed the place, finding just confused looking factory workers. “Spread out, try every door and looked for concealed entrances,” he ordered and then ran outside to look for any other entrance ways into the building.

“Ranma get back,” ordered Detective Yoshizumi, catching up to the busy teenagers.

“See if you can keep up with us,” Ranma yelled back, glorying that Akane was near and that he was doing to something to help her after sitting around feeling impotent for so long. The other teenagers felt the same; they were thirsty for blood and vengeance. Healthy young bodies leapt and twisted in a macabre mob minded ballet.

“Ranma over here,” Ukyou called. She had found what she thought was a manhole cover that seemed to be locked. “I think that it’s some sort of underground tunnel,” she said, trying to pry it open with her spatula. The police surrounded it and suggested that they call for a locksmith. “No, a little egg bomb take care of that,” Shampoo said smugly. She urged everyone to stand back and threw the bomb towards it and blew the cover clean off.

Detective Yoshizumi goggled at the explosion and said, “Miss where did you get that bomb from?” he asked.

“Mousse make them,” she replied, “I took from his room, thought might need,” she explained.

“Indeed, I need to have a talk with your friend about illegal weapons when I find him,” Detective Yoshizumi mused. “Now, we will invade the premises, please stand back,” he ordered the crew.

Instead they charged forward and Ranma yelled, “Akane, Mousse we’re coming for you!”

Akane and Mousse were playing cards; one of the kinder handlers had given them a pack to stave off boredom. Akane paused when she heard a faint voice calling her name. “Mousse did you hear that?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” he replied, straining to listen. He thought he heard the faint sound of someone shouting.

They charged forward as a unit into that well lit tunnel seeking and finding their target, a very startled looking muscular masked man. “Tonto’s mine!” yelled Ukyou launching herself and knocking him down with her spatula. The others hauled him to his feet.

“Where are Akane and Mousse?” Ranma demanded.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he answered.

“Tall green eyed Chinese guy and a petit Japanese girl with brown eyes,” Ranma answered.

“No clue,” he taunted.

“Perhaps this would help jog your memory?” Ryoga asked and drove his fist into the concealed face, breaking his nose. The handler shrieked in pain and surprise. “Want another one like that? Get talking,” he ordered.

“Okay, they’re in the maternity ward,” he said, clutching his bleeding nose.

Everyone caught their breath at what that implied and Ranma trembled for a second, and then caught himself. “Take us there,” he ordered.

The police had arrived by that point and had started taking the handlers into custody with the exception of the one bringing the crew to the cell.

Akane heard familiar voices and looked out to see Ranma and the rest in front of their cell. “Ranma!” she cried in shock and relief. Automatically Mousse moved to help her up.

“Open it,” he ordered and she ran into his arms. He looked her over, her hair was longer but other then that she looked the same, her face was overjoyed to see him. He hugged her and then he felt the thing that he had refused to accept. He held her at arms length and looked at her hugely swollen belly and walked away. He just couldn’t deal with her pregnancy, at least not yet.

“Ranma?” Akane said in a small voice, unable to accept his rejection.

Mousse put his arm around her “It’ll be fine. He’s just in shock,” he assured her. This gesture drove any doubts as to who was the father out the other’s minds. Akane looked up at the other people who had been released from their cells. Her eyes met those of a hugely pregnant occidental blond teenager who looked to be about Akane’s age. She wore a smock like Akane and was beautiful despite having a split lip and a bruised cheek. Yes she was a beautiful girl but her eyes were those of someone who had seen too much and done too much and Akane wondered if theirs looked the same. Akane had been lucky she realized; she hadn’t been caged with a stranger as most were, then taken to the maternity ward alone. Akane had been with only a person familiar to her who had cared for her and been allowed to remain with him. She doubted that her next experience would have been the same.

“I think we got them all. Were there others Miss?” Detective Yoshizumi asked Akane.

“Yes. Mommas,” Akane said and directed them to her office, then excused herself to go to the bathroom and walked in the opposite direction. Finding the office that she had failed to provide proper directions for, balancing as best she could, she kicked the door open. Her unused muscles screamed at the force, but it made the rest of her feel good when it flew off the door hinges and landed with a resounding crash. “Hello, Mommas,” Akane purred.

“Akane what are you doing here? Guards!” she screamed recoiling from the feral looking pregnant teen.

“They’re not coming, the police have them; it’s just you and me,” she said circling her prey around the desk as she attempted to back away. Gripping the desk for support, she kicked Mommas in the belly; she went down with a whoosh of breath and a grunt. “That’s for taking my innocence!” Akane yelled. She kicked her in the ribs. “That’s for trying to make me into a brood mare!” She kicked her in the stomach again. “That’s for trying to steal my life!” And she kept kicking her until she was hauled off.

“That’s enough,” Mousse soothed rubbing her shoulders as he looked at the huddled, broken figure of one of the most feared women in all Japan.

Akane rubbed her face and realized that she’d been crying. “It’ll never be enough,” she sobbed.

Later That Evening

After having been examined at the hospital and given their statements, Akane was joyfully reunited with her family. She sobbed as she hugged her father and sisters, all of whom seemed so happy to see her that they didn’t seem to care that she was pregnant. She didn’t see the grim look that Soun and Genma exchanged in her bliss.

Mousse stood back feeling awkward. He had imagined that Shampoo would run into his arms in her joy to see him. Instead, she just nodded to him and went back to talking with Ranma. No one had thought to bring other clothes for him so he still wore the scrubs where as his robe and pants couldn’t be found anywhere. Finally, Kasumi had taken pity on him and found him some of Ranma’s clothes to wear, which were too short and baggy on him.

He watched Shampoo and Cologne ignore him and wondered if anyone had even thought to tell him family that he was missing. He tried not to envy the fact that everyone was so supportive of Akane and no one seemed to even really notice that he was hurting too. He also hurting and suffering from post traumatic stress disorder; he felt dirty that it was his cock that was used to rape her. He noticed that none of the other males would look him in the eye as if judging him weak for failing to protect her and even worse, participating in her downfall.

He felt acute shame when her father and Genma asked to speak with him after Akane had gone to bed. Their faces could have been carved out of stone as he had a seat.

“Son, you ruined my daughter’s honour and we want to know what you intended to do about it?” Soun began coldly.

Mousse felt his mouth go dry “I will marry her if you want,” he volunteered.

“That’s precisely what we don’t want!” Genma thundered.

Soun looked a little sympathetic towards the frightened looking boy “Son, I was told what goes on in that place and I’m sure that you weren’t given a choice in the matter, but the fact remains that Akane’s pregnant and we want to know of your intentions,” he said.

“I promised her that I would help out,” he said.

“How? Do you have a job and can help support her?” Soun asked.

Mousse hung his head “No, but I’ll get one,” he promised.

“Even if you do, how much could you possibly make? Have you even been to school?” Soun asked. “What are your plans in life?”

“I-I don’t have one anymore,” Mousse said, feeling like his heart was breaking. “But, I can’t abandon my babies; I’ll move here and get a job. Akane doesn’t have to marry me, we can arrange for visitation rights. I’m sure I’ll make a good father,” he almost pleaded.

“You probably will son, eventually. Not now. You’re too young to be a father and if you care about my daughter, you’ll stay away from her,” Soun said.

“You expect me to give up my children!” Mousse cried now angry.

“Mousse, you seem like a decent guy and you have to realize that it’s going to be hard enough for Akane being an unwed mother without you wandering into her life whenever you feel like it. She and Ranma have been engaged since birth and its going to be hard for him to accept another man’s children as it is. Be reasonable,” Soun said.

“I’m just asking for visitation rights, not to move in with you,” Mousse snapped. “I just want to be part of their lives.”

“That’s precisely what you can’t be. I need you to stay away from my family. Ranma and Akane don’t need the distraction and your children won’t need confusion over who their father is. Even if she wanted to marry you she couldn’t, you’re both minors and would need my permission,” Soun said. “Besides you can’t be heir to the dojo if you don’t even know the school,” he pointed out.

“I could just be a family friend, perhaps you could teach it to me and that would give me an excuse to see them? I could even teach you mine to add to it,” he said grasping at straws.

“Your style is flashy and crowd pleasing, but ours is a weaponless school and therefore incompatible with your own,” Soun said firmly. “Akane shall marry Ranma and your children shall carry his last name as it was meant to be. You were never meant to be part of their lives, if you want to do Akane a favour then go back to China and forget all about her and that this incident ever happened,” he advised.

“I promised her I would help her!” Mousse cried.

“How? You can’t help her out financially and she has Ranma and us for her emotional support. Your intentions are noble but not really needed. All I want from you is for you to swear that you will stay away from my daughter and her children and we will personally pay for your trip back to China. If you try to fight me on this you will lose, my daughter other suitors are quite annoyed at you. Trust me on this, China’s the safest place for you now,” Soun threatened.

“What does Akane have to say about all of this?” Mousse asked.

“Akane will do as she’s told or I’ll disown her,” Soun said.

Mousse stood up, “So you would throw a pregnant woman out of your home? Very well, I will stay away if only to prevent that, I swear on my honour as a martial artist that I shall never contact her again.” he swore and left.

“Now to get Ranma and Akane married,” Genma said.

Mousse wanted only to go to the room that he’d been assigned and get some sleep, but he was stopped by Shampoo and Cologne and pulled into yet another conference. He didn’t like the triumphant gleam in their eyes.

“Since you were unfaithful to my great-granddaughter during your suit of her, you’ve forfeited any future challenges for her hand. She’s forever out of your grasp,” Cologne ordered.

“I was forced to!” Mousse protested.

“Yeah I sure you hate having sex with pretty girl,” Shampoo sneered. “Don’t worry, we still be friends.”

Mousse, feeling beaten repeated the oath that released Shampoo and escaped to his room.

He flung himself on the bed and started sobbing, having forsworn his children and future wife all in one night, leaving him with nothing. He realized that he was surrounded by people who now hated him and wished that he’d never been rescued.