Chapter Text
Ranma could only fume as he climbed up the stairs into the guest room. Hunted across the town of Furikan, in the middle of this crazy ward filled of martial arts chaos. He had been attacked, beaten, and sent flying by the numerous people, who wanted him, either dead, or married to them, or in Akane's case, just strait up mutilated.
He swore she got physically stronger every time she got worked up over all the stupid shit that wasn't even his doing, he didn't want any of it as much as her, heck even more so since he was the once on the receiving end.
He made it right for his room, his dad passed out in panda form, smelling like Sake. With a grunt, Ranma grabbed his bag, grabbing his stuff, but leaving behind the weights his father had put in them for strength training, and using that extra space to put some more things in, some of the female clothes options he picked up here and there, before sneaking back out. He wanted to just run, but his body was still so sore...he would at least stop by Tofu's place.
He made his way there, knocking on the door, and thankfully the good doc was in, despite the later house. He was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants instead of his usual get up. He blinked, "Hey Ranma, the Fiancés again?"
"Them, plus some. I just...need some time to myself, but figured I check in with you first."
"Well come on in."
Tofu kept smiling as they made their way in, and Ranma took a set on the examination table, his head slumped down, looking at the floor, and watched as Tofu's bare feet walked towards him...
"Hey...your pinky toe is missing a joint."
"Hmmm...oh yeah. My family moved out here when I was a kid to help with the community but in its early days."
"Ah...I guess it's more common outside of Nerima...I only barely remembered when my toes where like that."
Tofu spit out his tea he was in the middle of taking a drink of, getting Ranma and triggering the curse, and she glared at him, "What was that for?"
"Your pinky toes used to be single jointed?"
"Yeah, but then pops took me to some ki specialist, and he used this weird technique and pressure points to make me grow the extra joints, to better grasp and balance on perches."
"Shit..."
Ranma blinked, she had never heard Tofu swear before. Tofu came up and placed his hand on Ranma's shoulder, "Do you know what it's like out of Nerima?"
"Uhhh...kind of...pops and a few other martial arts masters refer to the world outside as a...disgrace to the true art of training...abomination of a society...so on so forth, but I don't pay much attention."
"Do you know about quirks?"
"The rough concept."
"Ranma, if modern research is correct, people born with single jointed pinky toes have quirks...which means you have one!"
Ranma blinked, and looked back down at her toes and the doc's, before looking up, "I don't have to cut off my toes, do I?"
"No...what was done to you was like plastic surgery, just it's only visual, it doesn't take away the DNA, or in this case, quirk."
"Alright...so what's my quirk then?"
"I can't tell you. I have no idea or way of telling you."
"I see...what's yours then?"
"Nothing fancy, I call it pinpoint. I can perfectly target small spots and hit them given they're within my reach, how else do you think I was able to hit the pressure point to turn off the Cat's Tongue during your fight with Mousse."
"That makes so much sense..."
Ranma started to lean back...she had a quirk...but what? As she thought, Tofu looked her over, then stepped back, "You're clear, you're basically just bruised, put some ice on yourself and you'll be fine. I'll lend you a spare room tonight, and I'll make some calls to see if I can get some help in figuring out your quirk."
Ranma nodded, before heading to the stairs. Once she was out of sight, Tofu headed into his office, opening a drawer, picking up a smart phone from the wireless charger in the bottom, and started going through the contacts. He made his way down the list, till he made it to the N's and found his target, pressing the screen. Holding it to his ears, then after a minute, "Principal Nezu of UA High speaking."
"Nezu, it's Ono Tofu."
"Oh, old friend! How good it is to hear your voice, how goes your work?"
"Pretty good, but things just got interesting."
"Oh?"
"You remember the skilled child that showed up a while ago?"
"Ranma I believe you said their name was. The child inflicted with the curse from the area in China with the Martial Arts tribes that dislike Quirks."
"The same. I just found out their father had their toes altered when they were a kid to give them extra joints in the pinky toe."
Tofu thought he heard the sound of a teacup shattering on the other side of the phone. After a cough, Nezu spoke, "They have a quirk?"
"They have a quirk. We just don't know what it is."
"I see...should we get lawyers involved?"
"No...by keep them on standby. Genma Saotome has a history of dodging the law and dragging Ranma along or using them as a scape goat."
"Oh dear."
"However...Ranma has expressed an interest in leaving home, at least for a short while, and upon learning they apparently have a quirk, they expressed interest in knowing what it is."
"I see...we'll get someone to help with the quirk assessment. What about them right now?"
"Staying the night with me, but the longer they remain, the more likely someone is going to knock in a wall and try to fight or marry them."
"It still surprises me the chaos the stuff poor Ranma has to go through."
"You and me both Nezu."
"Indeed...so how earlier can you get Ranma to the train station in the morning?"
"...it's to early doc..."
"Ranma, I know you usually get up early anyways."
"Yeah...when the panda throws me out the window into the pond."
They stood before the train as it slid up and stopped, opening the doors. They stepped in and Ranma took a seat, "Wake me when we get there."
"I think you'll be awake, by the time we get there it'll be time for lunch."
"Sounds like a plan."
Ranma nodded off. After a while he woke back up looking out the window, his eyes were wide...he hadn't been to one of the modern cities before! It was huge...he was almost tempted to climb out the window and go scaling up the side of one of those buildings, but he remained seated and managed to keep his eye out to see the view. About half an hour later, they came to their stop, and they got off, and headed in, then out, of the station.
Outside, Tofu lead them to a limo, which caught Ranma by surprise, but not as much as the little mouse looking man sitting inside of it with the guy he could best describe as a hobo. In the Limo, Tofu bowed, "Nice to see you Nezu, I see you brough Aizawa with you as well."
"Yes, I figured he would be interested in the matter and would be important t bring along. And you must be Ranma, I've heard so much about you from Tofu."
Ranma turned to the doc, giving him a stink eye, "How much?"
"Most everything, your skills and talents, your curse, fiancés, nothing that nobody back where you were living didn't already know about."
He let out a sigh. The explanation was true enough. He then turned and looked at the two, tapping into his Ki to looked at them.
Nezu's was interesting, his ki was similar to a human's body it was extra strong in his brain area, and then the hobo...Aizawa, he was skilled and athletic, maybe a bit acrobatic based on his Ki...but it also flowed around his eyes in a weird way. Nezu noticed his expressions, "Is something wrong?"
"I don't think so...but I want to ask, do you know what Ki is?"
"Yes, though I have no practice in it myself."
Aizawa gave a shrug.
"Well...I'm looking at both your Ki's now. Yours is pretty close to a typical human, aside from your size, and the fact your brain is super charged with energy."
"Well, my Quirk is High Specs, which has given me human level intelligence, and I'm an observer and learner, and am easily one of the smartest people in the world."
"Wow...and what about you? Your eyes have Ki flowing around them in a weird way."
"Erasure, I can nullify most quirks by looking at a person."
"That explains the acrobatic aura."
Nezu chuckled and turned to Tofu, "Oh I like him. He's even better then you said."
The Limo came to a stop, and Ranma turned to see a medical looking building. He let out a groan, "There won't be any needles, right? I deal with swords enough as it is."
Aizawa perked up an eyebrow, but Nezu waved it off, "None at all, the specialist has a quirk that will just require hand contact for him to observe your body for a quirk."
"Hand holding?"
"Hazard of the job."
Ranma let out a sigh then stood up, then before stepping out, "Can I leave my bag in here?"
"By all means."
He set it down then turned to step out, everyone else following after. Nezu took the lead, and as he stepped in the receptionist saw him then just waved him through, no paperwork or anything. He must be important!
One elevator ride and some walking later, they entered a room, that looked more it was some kind of therapy office, and the guy at the desk smiled, "Welcome! You must be Ranma! Welcome to the outside world."
Ranma nodded and took the seat offered, "Nice to meet you doc. Hope we aren't taking much of your time."
"None at all, it's pretty standard stuff. Your hand please."
Ranma let his hand out, letting his Ki watch his. At first normal, but once he had a solid touch, it flowed into Ranma, and he felt it, while the energy touched every cell in his being, up and down, inside and out, and his face took an odd expression, and then he pulled away, his Ki snapped back with him.
"This is...an odd one."
"What is it...is my quirk broken?"
"What, oh NO! Your quirk is fine...it's just...unique. I was informed your parents are both quirk less beforehand, so in a way you're like a first-generation quirk. However,...I think you've been using your quirk without even knowing it."
"I'm confused."
"Let me explain what I saw. Basically, there's three types of quirks, Emitters, Transformation, and Mutation. Emitters are quirks that produce stuff, like electrical energy, transformation quirks are pretty self-explanatory, and Mutations are quirks that leave a person physically altered from a normal human like having extra arms, and it can't be turned off."
Ranma nodded, "Okay...so what's up with me."
"I think....you're a hybrid."
Ranma felt the surprise of the others, and he raised an eyebrow, hoping for an explanation, which he got.
"From what I can tell, you're a mix of a mutation and emitter. While it's not physically visible, your body's cells aren't normal, they're enhanced. From what I can tell, those cells have repeatedly been pushed to the edge again and again, and they absorb that and bring it to the maximum amount of improvement, and they adapted. Your body is made to keep enhancing itself. But then there's also the energy that's charging your body's cells."
"You mean my Ki?"
"Ki? Oh right...martial artist. Kind of...while most people believe it to be fake outside of place like Nerima, Ki is real, and I've seen a few people who can use it, but I can't see it with my quirk, I've tried. I think the energy is the untapped part of your quirk."
"Hmmm...that makes sense...I've been physically training for a long time."
Nezu stepped up, "I have a theory, but it's based on speculation."
Ranma shrugged, "Go ahead."
"It's a bit of a stretch, but you as a martial artist soak up techniques like a sponge based on Tofu's observations."
"Yeah. Observe, learn, incorporate, improve, etc...it applies for both Ki and the Physical stuff, though some takes more effort than others."
"Right. Could your quirk allow you to do something similar with other quirks?"
Ranma blinked..."Copy quirks?"
"To an extent. There are quirks like that. But what I'm thinking is that you might be able to observe the way a Ki flows in a person with a quirk, and as you mentioned you saw mine and Aizawa's quirk cause out Ki to move differently, maybe this energy is made to replicate the effects of other quirks to a degree."
Ranma nodded and thought about it. The implication sounded like a superpower version of Anything Goes...it would incorporate well...
"I need to test this!"
Ranma turned to look at the others. Nezu's quirk was literally just an enhanced brain, that was probably more a mutation quirk. Aizawa's...his eyes emitted the effect of his quirk at a distance, and Ranma wasn't quite sure how that would work. There were the two docs in the room, but Pinpoint would only really work with pressure points, and he didn't want to use it unwillingly on another...and his ki observations skills already let him see how a person's body worked, he didn't need to see their guts to.
The door opened and the lady from the front desk walked in, holding papers, while hands she didn't have earlier walked in. The extra arms were made of a glowing energy, and Ranma instantly homed in with her ki. He watched the ki, which flowed into the arms like they were normal. He nodded as she handed the doctor papers and started saying something, and Ranma held out his arm, and started to create a path flow of ki underneath his own arm, and he felt energized! This energy was awakening, and filling in the gaps around the Ki, no... synchronizing with the ki, and soon there was a glowing replica of his own arm sticking out from his shoulder.
He opened and closed his hand the replica mimicked the movement. He nodded. He could feel them both, like they were both flesh and blood, it might take some work, but he could probably get it to move independently from his real arm, it would just take some practice.
The lady who was there turned and saw what he was doing, then looked at his face, "Replication quirk?"
"Kind of."
She nodded, then headed out. After the door closed, Ranma let the arm fade, smiling, "That was so cool! Think of the possibilities! The Chestnut fist could strike a bunch already, oh but with more than two arms!"
Ranma started to rub his hands together, smiling, when something cold and wet hit him. Turning to look, Aizawa was giving him a stink eye, "Don't do that, you'll scare something into thinking you're a villain. Also...do you have a second quirk mixed into that hybrid quirk of yours?"
Ranma let out a sigh as she readjusted her clothes, "Ancient curse. Cold water turns me into a girl, warm water a guy."
He felt the doc's hand grab him again, and turning to look, his energy was going into Ranma again. After a minute he pulled away, "Same quirk...but your cells changed to, to give you the maximum output to adapt to fit this form."
Ranma nodded, "Makes sense, I'm always more agile like this, it fit's the branch of Anything Goes I know."
They all nodded, and Ranma stood, "Anything else or can we get lunch now?"
After getting Ranma's paperwork processed to get her quirk registered, the name labeled as TBD, they headed out. Thankfully the went to an all-you-can-eat restaurant at Tofu's recommendation, and it was a good thing to, cause the two teachers of UA where unaware of the amount of food Ranma could eat, and the pace at which she could eat it
After a bit, Ranma slowed down and was more calmly eating dessert. Nezu, taking the moment to get her attention spoke, "So Ranma...if you don't have any further plans, I have a proposition."
"Sure."
"Right, why not come to my school and join the Hero Program."
Ranma finished the ice cream in her bowl and set it aside, "The offer isn't bad, but I don't know anything about heroes and stuff really. I'm aware they exist, I can catch glimpses of them on the TV channels every so often, but you know how the community of Nerima is."
"I am, but that's exactly why we have the schools, to teach. You'll be joining the first years, and there is normal school involved, but we're more than capable of providing you housing, food, clothes, everything. We have old dorms we can put back together and give you a room to. We used to house students who came from further regions before they started to just seek housing off campus, but we get the occasional request to house a few students, and I've been planning on rebuilding a few dorms at least."
Ranma nodded...she wanted to get away from the Chaos of Nerima, but this...sounded amazing. Sure, there was school, but she had already been through the first year of a normal high school, so maybe she wouldn't be as bad in this school a second time around? Well...why not!
"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."
"Goody! You'll be in by my personal recommendation, so you won't have to deal with the typical entrance ceremony, but I would like you to at least get in some studying beforehand, since I have a feeling the education in Nerima was lacking in comparison, but you'll also have plenty of resources to train yourself."
Okay...Ranma was liking this!
Oh...but wait...
She turned to Tofu, "If I stay here, you won't get in trouble, will you?"
He waved his hand, "I'll be fine. I'm on good grounds with everyone; besides, I'm the only martial artist in Furikan that deals with the martial artists, it's not a good idea to fight the one guy who knows about the crazy stuff they go through."
Ranma nodded, "Alright. So when do we go?"
"You had this built...in twenty-four hours?"
Nezu nodded as he walked Ranma towards the dorm building, "And had it modified, it's a wonder what one can do with a prefabricated building. As it stands, you're the only one here currently as we only sent the notice we would be offering Dorms again today, and by my recommendation you get first pick of the room, but I already have one ready."
Looking up the building, Ranma noticed the top floor looked...newer.
Following Nezu inside, Aizawa and Tofu behind her, Ranma followed his to the elevator. That made it to the floor just below the top, then they walked over to a staircase. The stairs at the top had a door, and reaching out, Nezu handed a key to Ranma. Taking it, Ranma stepped in and blinked. This place took up basically the entire top floor!
"Nezu, this is amazing...but this is you playing favorites...when people think someone is playing favorites with me, that's when the weapons come out!"
"Ranma, I understand what you're saying, but this extra space is because it's supposed to be your home now, instead of just being a place to sleep. The other students will have families to return and visit on weekends and such, you're living here twenty-four seven."
"I...huh...you sure?"
"I insist."
"...you're an odd man, but a nice one."
"Why thank you."
As Ranma stepped in further, she looked around, the place was furnished, but also sturdy...meant for her to train in. She nodded as she checked out the kitchenette, before turning to the door that led into the bathroom.
Returning, she nearly burst out laughing at the man now sleeping in a yellow sleeping bag, "Oh my...he really is a hobo."
The hobo opened his eye, "I'll ask that you refrain from calling me that again."
"RIGHT! Sorry."
Ranma set down her bag, and walked around the room again, "This is...wow..."
Nezu spoke, "This is your place for the foreseeable future, make it as you like."
"I will...hey teach...out of curiosity, can I get a request?"
"Maybe."
"Can I get my own space to change for classes? Water like to find me at the most inconvenient times possible, and let's just say me sharing a locker room with others doesn't end well. Boys would try to splash me to sneak a peek, and girls were...unreceptive in their own way."
Nezu nodded, "I think we can arrange that, though I can say most students at our school are well behaved, and very understanding induvial, so I think you'll have a better time here in regard to that...unless you'd prefer to try and keep that a secret?"
Ranma looked down at her hand, "Maybe...let me think about it."
One Month Later
Ranma sat in the back of the class, watching as her new classmates started to stream in. The room had twenty-one desks, her's was the only one in the far back. As the others started to come in, she used her ki senses to observe them. There was the spike blonde who's ki was packed into his palms, the pink skinned girl with horns who's ki seemed more fluid, but normal, the frog girl...whose ki reminded her of a frog...
One by one they streamed in. At one point a boy in glasses and ki acting in his legs and calves mostly was starting to get after the blonde with the palm filled ki. Finishing off the pack, a green haired boy with...a pocket of ki packed away inside of him? That was a bit new. Then then there was a brown-haired girl with her ki oddly focused on the bumps on her fingertips.
The two of them started talking, the boy clearly flustered...Ranma smirked, at least he didn't have the kind of girl trouble Ranma used to have.
That's when Aizawa made his presence known. Ranma almost giggled at everyone's surprise.
He reached into the sleeping bag and drew out a set of the school's gym outfit. "Put one of these on and head outside, we're doing quirk assessment tests."
Ranma stood up, pulling off the uniform jacket she wore, revealing the gym shirt she had worn underneath, then the gym pants under the normal uniform pants, before she turned to the window and just opened it and jumped out.
She landed on the ground then turned up to the window, where a few heads were poking out looking at her, "Well come on! You don't want me to take all the tests by myself do you?"