indentRanma made no mention of the incident the next morning, and if this surprised Nick any he kept it to himself. He did, however, seem a little irritated that Ranma didn’t even have a black eye.
indentWord must have gotten around, somehow; As Ranma went about his new detail(sidewalk sweep) he caught a few words of random conversation.
indent”-midnight beatdown, fifteen minutes, not a scratch on him.”
indent”-Thought somebody was gonna tame him.”
indent”five guys, crack Eddie’s ribs, busted up Tony nose.”
indentSuddenly, Ranma caught the tail end of an alarming sentence.
indent”Would’ve sworn he was a girl when we came in. T and A just so, I swear...”
indentThe blood drained from his face, but he tried to pretend he had heard a thing. He could fairly well feel the curious gazes of the inmates around him.
indentRanma was naive, for all his fighting experience. He had given a great deal of thought and worry over what might happen if he went girl in this place. However, his fears of what might happen didn’t necessarily hinge on his gender, which is why he was a little open for the incident that happened that night in the shower.
indentFor the most part, in spite of his worries, his tension over his curse was largely receding. In his stay here, the only cold water he’d seen that could pose an accidental threat was the water in the drinking fountain, and except for a close call his third day(the water had a lot of pressure and nearly hit him in the face) he had no problem with it. Being that he was a guy, he never thought that he might still be vulnerable to a predator.
indentTo understand why he was almost off guard, you must remember that he was, in spite of his recent immigration to the U.S., and even more recent incarceration, a Japanese young man, culturally as well as genetically. He was at home in the communal bathing scene, which had the side effect of making the usually clumsy acclimation period almost non-existent for him. It also made him an easy mark for a very cliche set-up.
indentThe water stung his shoulders in a thin, scalding stream. He ignored the stinging, and began to lather his chest, when there was a curse and a thump to his left. Looking over, he saw a half soaped guy with a tan skin and a loose posture looking back at him.
indent”Hey, man, I dropped my soap- could you get it?” The guy said, pointing down at Ranma’s feet.
indentRanma looked where indicated, bent over-
indentSomeone in front of him grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back, keeping him bent over. Rough hands seized his hips, and something thick slapped his right cheek(NOT the face, either).
indentRanma gathered both legs up under his chest and lashed out as hard as he could. Because of his awkward position, he couldn’t aim any higher than the guy’s kneecaps, which both snapped with a gristly crunch, much like a dog gnawing the knuckle of a fresh bone. The guy behind him collapsed, and the momentum of his kick shoved him forward into the guy pinning his arms. The fellow fell back against the wall, and lost his grip, which Ranma rolled shoulder first to a single hand stand, then sprang lightly into a fighting stance, before the guy could even hit the wet floor.
indentThe guy from behind just started to scream, and the one in front hit the floor. The one who had held his arms was somewhat short, for an American, and even for this place looked scruffy and sloppy. That took some work, to stand out like THAT in a place like this, but Ranma strongly suspected it was by natural talent than by design.
indentThe guy clambered to his feet, holding his hands up. “Hey man, no harm, man, no foul.”
indentRanma took a quick impression of his stance- Left foot braced behind, right in front with little weight on it, both hands chest level and body three quarter profile.
indentA defensive fighting stance, in spite of his supplicating posture.
indentThe bulls burst into the bathroom, nightsticks in hand.
indent”What’s going on here?” One of them demanded.
indent”Nothing.” Said the guy in front of Ranma, dropping his hands and facing the guard.
indent”What happened to him?” Another guard demanded, pointing at Ranma’s other assailant. The man was now groaning miserably while clutching at his shattered knees, both of which articulated retrograde, the right one bent slightly to the side as well as inverted.
indentThe guys in the shower looked at Ranma, who stammered, “He, uh, he dropped his soap.”
indent”How’d it happen?” The bull asked, pointing at his knees.
indent”Dunno, guess he must have slipped when he tried to pick it up.” Ranma replied clumsily.
indentThe guards chuckled ominously; this obviously wasn’t anything particularly unusual. “Slipped, right.”
indentShaking their heads, they grabbed and hauled the guy from the showers to the infirmary.
indentRanma shrugged, knealt down to pick up his soap, and continued washing himself as though nothing had happened. The others in the shower stared at him a moment, then began to do the same.

indentAs Ranma lay on his bunk that night, not long before roll call(he had practiced the art for about fifteen minutes before the sudden realization that he would never head the Saotome School now, not that he hadn’t already given it up, but old habits die hard) he heard music wafting down the hall. Strange song, he recognized it as Alternative, but the song he had never heard before.
indent-Unto others, what has been done to you...
indentI’m starting over.... I need to weep a while...
indentI’m leanin over... You look so precious won’t you... won’t you COME here... Come CLOSer... Closer NOW so...
indentI can SMELL you, I.. need.. you to feel this... I.. can’t.. stand to burn too low, re- lease- inside of you, over- one- sweet moment out of ho-o-o-ope...
indentSuddenly, the music shut off, but Ranma thought a moment about that song. –Now what did that mean? What was that song about?- He wondered.

indent “Cold blooded. He’s one cold blooded bastard, and I think we ought to leave him alone.”
indentThe man speaking was Jeff, sitting out at one of the tables during yard time. Close enough that Ranma was able to listen in, but far enough to keep them from worrying about him overhearing. Jeff was in the process of shuffling a pack of card so dirty and worn that only familiarity allowed him to read the pips. Ranma continued to practice his katas, listening in carefully but surreptitiously. Others crowded in to the table, including-
indent”Heard he broke off both of Louis’s kneecaps one kick.” That was Freddy, whose nose Ranma had broken two days before.
indent”You weren’t there. I was.” Said Jared. “Chevy had him locked up and he curled up, kicked, and knocked both of them down, and he was on his feet before they landed.”
indentAnd, of course, at the table was Nick, just listening. Out of the corner of his eye Ranma could see that Nick was watching him with intense interest. Ranma added a savage jump kick that really didn’t belong in this part of the pattern, but it was loud enough that it disrupted the table conversation, and fast enough that his leg was tucked back underneath him before the sound reached their ears. With their attention focused on him, he whipped out three more kicks before he hit the dirt again, each one an intimidating pop even despite the soft sweat pant legs.
indentAfter a moment of captivated audience, the guys at the table resumed their conversation. “I’m not messing with him again.” Said Tony, shaking his head. “Those first couple things were like warnings, you know? I mean, look at him. He can paste us all without breaking a sweat.”
indent”Warnings?” Said Nick. His first contribution to the conversation so far, in fact.
indent”He’d stomp us all without breaking a sweat. I think he’s just being nice.”
indentThere was a chorus of strained laughter at this, but not from all of them. Some of them were regarding Ranma thoughtfully. Including Nick.
indent”So you’re scared, Tony?” Nick asked.
indent”Of course I am!” He said louder, loud enough for Ranma to clearly hear him. Ranma paused in his kata, looked over at the table, smirked cockily, then went back to his practice.
indent”I’m not going near him again.” Tony said adamantly until Nick fixed him with a steely gaze.
indent”You’re worried about what he might do. You SHOULD be worried about what YOU know I WILL do. You’ll do as I tell you.” Nick said evenly. ”You KNOW it.”
indentNick leaned in so that he was right in Tony’s face. “You know he’s a nice guy. But you also know I’m not, and it doesn’t matter how good he is, I run this place because I can and I know how best. And he WILL know I am boss, even if I have to kill him to do it.”

indent Ranma heard the music again. Someone out in the hall, perhaps a guard, perhaps one of the more priviledged of the other inmates, had either a radio or a tape player- here, it was too much to hope for a CD.
indent"It took so long to remember... Just What Happened....
indentI was so young, VESTAL then... I Know it hurt me..."
indentThe music cut off again suddenly, and Ranma realized how tense he had actually been. There was something in that song, something that set his teeth on edge, his muscles alert, his mind wandering the razor's edge.
indentDimly, he imagined he could, for a split second, see over the edge and into the abyss, a whirling place of madness and anger and vengeance, a place where the hatred awaited his beck and call.
indentHe almost hungered for it, before realization thrust the thought away from him in horror.
indentNow that it was late, far far too late, he wanted out. He wished he had never heard of Chris, never
indentLaughter, ice cream in a parlor, sweating and a squeak of joy
indentknown the son of a bitch ever existed.
indentRanma realized that in spite of everything, he- She?- missed him. Not who he turned out to be, but who he had been.
indentDamn you Chris. I wish...
indentAh, I only wish...

indent Ranma’s curse would not stay secret forever- and it came back to haunt him only a month and a half after his arrival. Nick- It was always Nick, in here- gathered pieces of the story and put them together, from everything he could gather from all the inmates who came in with him.
indentHe tested his theory when Ranma drew the laundry detail.
indentRanma tipped the basket into the industrial sized wash machine, scooped a cup of detergent in, and shut the lid. Suddenly, his nerves, sensitized by years of dodging cold water, gave him warning- but as always, not in time. Icy water drenched him and worked the familiar curse, leaving him wet, three inches shorter, and female.
indentThe footsteps coming up behind her were at least five strong, maybe more.
indentShe quickly glanced around. Three left. Four more right. At least five behind- And Nick popped up and leaned on the washer in front of her, while several more guys flanked him, watching her carefully.
indentNick was quite cheerful. “So. The fish had it right- we have a LADY taking residence in our hallowed halls.”
indentRanma’s adrenaline surged as the nightmare began to unfold. Slowly, the guys around her were closing in. No guards down here- they were under the compound, near the boiler, and the only way out was the stairs.
indentEveryone was within twenty feet, and she was surrounded. She looked up.
indentThe bars to the ceiling were easily twenty-five, thirty feet, she guessed. Fifteen feet, no problem. Twenty feet? Sure. Twenty five? That was stretching it, even for her cursed form. And her highest jump (in attempt to escape Shampoo one fine evening an eternity ago) he had hit twenty six feet three and a half inches.
indentNick went on. “See, you’re a godsend, little miss. Most of us in here haven’t even SEEN a woman in years, and now they live with one, and a rather tasty one at that. I get the feeling you’re gonna be REAL popular around here from now on.”
indentRanma took a step back, ready to fight or leap. A flash of white cloth.
indentShe almost made the jump, but the edge of the sheet snagged her foot six feet in the air. Off balance, she fell to the ground, and they rushed her. Hands grabbed at her, and she fought back blindly. A heavy fist slammed into her forehead, stunning her momentarily. She dimly registered her clothes being torn off, the swirling lust and rage of the men around her, and her own coolly stunned indifference.
indent”Hiryu Shaoten Ha!” She shouted, driving the deciding fist up.
indentThe was a savage bang, and a rush of wind flinging her attackers across the room in all directions. She staggered to her feet, opened a nearby washer, and splashed herself with the water- hot- inside. Almost as an afterthought, he chi blasted a drier nearby- if the guards asked, they could conclude the somehow the gas drier had blown up, making a mess and destroying a nearby washer- and explaining why the room was strewn with unconscious men, although not why they were still alive- just one of those freakish things, I guess, sir.
indentRanma stumbled and passed out.

End part Three