Web of Ranma

Disclaimer: How did I get into this mess?

< >: Thoughts

Chapter 3

A Very Tangled Web

With the second appearance of ‘Spider-Man,’ the entire city of Tokyo was abuzz with wild tales and gossip of the mysterious superhero. The news stations were having a field day as reporters and camera crews swarmed all over the grounds of Furinkan High, interviewing students and teachers about what they had seen or know about the masked avenger who had saved the school and everyone within a five-block radius. Through Ranma’s efforts, the explosion in the main chemical storage facilities had been contained, destroying only those areas and leaving the rest of the school more or less intact. With the fire department on the scene, the rest of the flames had been brought under control and were dying out..

In the now devastated chem labs, police officers and firefighters had begun sifting through the wreckage while putting out any remaining fires and dousing any potential hazards such as exposed wiring and flammable materials with fire-retardant foam. One of the forensics officers approached the spot where the main storage bins had been located and saw that there was some strange, sticky residue on top of a pile of debris. He took out a small plastic bag and used a pair of tweezers to get a sample.

Behind the school, Ranma dropped down from the branches of a tree while stuffing his makeshift mask into his back pocket. He looked around to see if anyone had seen him and assumed that there was no one present as his spider-sense did not tingle. He then began walking toward the crowds in search of either Nabiki or Akane. He soon found them near the front gate as a reporter and her cameraman were interviewing them.

“So you also saw this Spider-Man?”
“Yeah! He was awesome!” Akane exclaimed. She had never seen anything like it and thought he was way better than that jerk Ranma. She and her sister had been among the students that had been saved from being crushed when that portion of wall came falling down. Now that was how a true martial artist was like, protecting the innocent. Not like some big showoff like Ranma.

As if on cue, Ranma appeared from the crowd and waved at the girls as the news people moved on.

“Ranma! Where have you been?” Nabiki asked as he walked up to them. Akane gave him a disdainful snort.

“Oh... well, when the fire broke out, I went to call the fire department.” Ranma replied. <Yeah, that’s it.>

“Did you see him? Did you see Spider-Man?”

“Spider-Man? What’s a Spider-Man?”

“You don’t know? You must be out of the gossip loop. He’s a superhero with powers like a spider. He saved all of us and Furinkan from being destroyed, along with the surrounding area.”

“Forget it Nabiki.” Akane scoffed. “He wouldn’t know anything about it.” <Like he would know anything about being a real hero or a true martial artist. He‘s nothing but a jerk, that’s all! > She then walked off, leaving the two of them.

Ranma became a bit nervous as he walked home with Nabiki. <Sheesh! It’s only been two days and people are already making a legend out of me. Still, that was exciting and it was good to be able to cut loose with my full powers without worrying about someone finding out about them. > During his two excursions as Spider-Man, Ranma had realized that being masked allowed him to let go. He could use all of his spider abilities without having to worry about someone knowing that it was him. Though his arachnid powers gave him great joy, they also made him feel different. He had also thought about the possibility that people might consider him as some kind of freak if they were to know.

Ranma had much to consider as he walked home with Nabiki.

----------

Meanwhile, in a hidden laboratory in Tokyo...

“Dr. Yamashita, take a look at this.”

The scientist who had originally created the Spider-Man project took the file and began perusing it. He became extremely interested at the articles and recent newscasts about a mysterious masked avenger with arachnid powers.

“Tell me, when did these sightings occur?”

“Since yesterday. When I saw the article about the first sighting, I thought it was some kind of publicity stunt for a tabloid, but then this article about this Spider-Man came in a few minutes ago with more than three hundred witnesses. Doctor, doesn’t this sound like the experiment that you attempted ten years ago?”

“It does indeed. I had labeled that project as incomplete and a failure when the transport plane that carried that irradiated specimen crashed. We sent out a recovery team to try and salvage the cargo, but by that time, the plane had been looted and the specimen had been destroyed. We had found the remains of that irradiated spider and there wasn’t enough of it left to preserve. All that trouble and not a single drop of venom! Such a waste.”

“So what about these reports about a person with spider powers? Does this mean that someone else had succeeded in duplicating your experiment, or is this all just a hoax?”

Dr. Yamashita pondered the question for a moment. “Hmm, these reports sound so farfetched, that if I had not conducted that experiment a decade ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. However, this ‘Spider-Man’ does seem to have all the proportionate powers of a spider, just I had envisioned a person would have if I had been able to finish my experiment. I doubt that anyone could have duplicated the procedure, since I had used up all those rare isotopes to irradiate that spider in the first place. So that leaves only one other option.”

“Which is?” The assistant asked.

“Whoever had looted that plane, must have gotten a hold of that spider and its venom must have been injected into him. I would have guessed that spider had gone into its death throes and exposed its fangs when the suspension fluid had leaked out .”

“What? Are you saying that this person gained his powers from the bite of a radioactive spider? That is just too ridiculous to say that this Spider-Man was created because of a fluke!”

“Not really. I had planned on something very similar, but I had intended to extract the venom, and then later inject small doses into some test subjects. The subjects would have been screened for genetic compatibility and if that looter had just the right DNA, then he would have been able to incorporate the spider’s abilities when that venom interacted with his bloodstream. A person with incompatible DNA would have received severe radioactive poisoning and most likely would have died.”

“Just the right DNA, huh? Doctor, do you realize the odds of the perfect subject and the venom coming into contact with each another by just mere coincidence? We’re talking astronomical!”

“Indeed, but if this Spider-Man is real, then we must assume that scenario had occurred. And if that is the case, then all is not lost and we now have a new supply of spider venom to utilize.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if this Spider-Man is the end result of my experiment, then I would say that his body is producing blood that contains the special enzymes that had been in the original specimen, before they were transferred to him. If we can get a sample of it and analyze it, then we’d be able to synthesize more with the new cloning techniques at our disposal. First of all, we'd have to find him and verify that he’s the genuine article. ”

“That’s a lot of hypothesizing, Dr. Yamashita.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate this Spider-Man, if only to invalidate these sightings.”

----------

Ranma was currently pacing about, trying to figure out what to do next. At the moment, Genma and Soun were out drinking and prematurely celebrating the fact that the schools of the Anything Goes would be joined. Kasumi had gone out to do some shopping and to return a book to Dr. Tofu. Akane had went to see a movie with her friends and Nabiki was out collecting on some debts owed to her. It was just as well that no one was home, since Genma and the rest of the Tendo family would have been shocked to see Ranma pacing on the ceiling. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he had unknowingly walked up the wall and was now upside-down. However, he didn’t have that flushed feeling that other people experienced when blood rushed to their heads. Along with the super powers, Ranma’s physiology had changed to deal with inverted body positions for extended periods. His eyesight had also been enhanced and he now had night vision.

<What am I going to do now? Now everyone’s calling me Spider-Man. I really got to be more careful with my powers. If it wasn’t for the mask, then I’d be having every scientist, reporter and who knows what else after me. I really don’t need those other fiancées to find me if I went on TV and stuff. I sure as heck don’t want Pop to find out about my powers. He’d probably see them as an easy way for him to get rich or something. Still, it did feel good to have saved all those people and being able to use my spider-powers at full was a rush! It IS a martial artist’s duty to protect the weak and innocent and I guess that applies to being a superhero too. >

Ranma paced around for a few more minutes before finally deciding on a course of action. He was a martial artist before he had become Spider-Man, so therefore his duty to protect, came before showing off his prowess. If he had not acted today, Furinkan High, along with everything within a two-block raiduis would have been destroyed. People would have been hurt or killed. And there was just so much more good he could do with his powers. In a way, it would be to pay back all the bad things he had done in life. During the early stages of his training, Genma had made him commit several acts of theft for the sake of training. Ranma had later learned to stop when he realized that it was wrong, but the memory still made him uncomfortable and tugged at his conscience. Furthermore, fighting crime would be good training and he develop both his martial arts skills and spider powers at the same time.

For the first time in his life, Ranma had made an decision on his own. <Looks like I will be going into the superhero business after all. And if I’m going to be Spider-Man, then I might as well look the part. I’m going to need something more than just a mask. >

Ranma then walked down from the ceiling and the wall to the floor. It looked like he would have to employ another branch of the Saotome School of the Anything Goes, specifically Anything Goes Sewing. <Now where does Kasumi keep her sewing stuff? > He had some experience with mending his own clothes during his life on the road and was now going to have use those talents to create a new look for Spider-Man. He decided to go raid the storage rooms at Furinkan.

----------

A little later...

Ranma rummaged about in his backpack after collecting some spools of colored thread, some spare scraps of fabric and a pair of red gloves were thin enough to allow his adhering ability to work when wearing them. It was a good thing that no one had thought of dusting the walls of the school, he had scaled for fingerprints and by now those marks would have been either charred or smudged from the fire. He then cut some small openings near the wrists of the gloves to allow for his spinnerets to shoot his webbing.

He then pulled one of the Chinese silk shirts that he had collected during his trip through China. The shirt was red, had wooden ties in the front and was sleeveless. With a little working, he undid the ties and sewed up the front. He then took out a needle and a spool of black thread. He then began sewing a spider symbol that he had cut out of black felt material to the left side of the front. The spider image was sewn at an angle and was placed in a white, circular background.

Ranma then pulled out a stretchable, full body suit that he had found in the school storage supplies. It was a dark blue and he had even found a pair of very thin boots that matched. He then added his own final touches which included some web designs on the front of the red shirt, using white thread. He then took out a red-colored mask that he had made from the old one he had improvised, which included eye lenses of the one-way mirror type (courtesy of the science labs), and decided to leave it without web adornment. The eyes were made to look bug-like, which fit with his persona as Spider-Man. He then took out a sheet of thin, transparent fabric and sewed it to the back of the red shirt, making it look like a short cape that resembled his webbing. Its use was not only ornamental, but also like an airfoil to slow his descents during long drops. He then decided to try it on to see how it looked.

He put on the body suit which covered everything but his hands, feet and head. The fabric molded itself to his body well and allowed for full body movement. He then put on the boots, which the tops easily slid over the pants legs and tested them out. He was satisfied that his adhering ability worked through the soles as he placed a foot on the wall. He then slid on the gloves and fit the ends over the sleeves. He made certain that his spinnerets had clear access to fire and the picked up the red shirt. He pulled it over his head and slid his arms through the sleeveless openings. He then picked up the mask and pulled it on. It was a good thing that Ranma had only a small ponytail which was easily tucked under the nape of the shirt. After leaving the Amazon Village, Ranma had narrowly avoided eating a miracle hair-growth formula called Dragon’s Hair Soup, thanks to his spider sense. Since then, he had worn his hair in a small tail that he closely trimmed. He moved his head from side to side and was satisfied that he was not restricted. He then turned to mirror and gazed at himself.

<Not bad for somebody who never took a sewing class. > He then tucked away all the leftover supplies and scraps of fabric and then headed toward the window. He then made a leap outside and sent out a web line.

THWIP!

<Okay world, get ready ‘cause here comes... Spider-Man! >

The new costumed adventurer then swung out to begin his superhero career.

----------

A few days later...

At Furinkan High...

“Did you hear the latest sightings?”

“Spider-Man is SO COOL!”

“He actually stopped a speeding truck to save that old lady!”

“I wonder who he is underneath that mask?”

“I’ll bet that he’s a really cute guy!”
“Do you think that he may be a student? After all, he did show up in a school uniform before.”

“Nah, he must be some kind of alien or something.”

Ranma just barely managed to not laugh as he passed by the various gossipers and approached the front gates. On the front schoolyard, bodies of battered, lovesick, teenage boys littered the pavement after Akane finished with the last of them and faced off against Kuno again.

“Akane Tendo, I challenge...”
WHAM!

Ranma sighed as he saw Kuno leave a really big opening and get slammed to the ground. Akane dusted off her hands as she picked up her book bag and gave her unwanted suitor a glare. Nabiki approached her sister and scanned the landscape of the bruised and mostly unconscious.

“You really went a little too hard this time, Akane. I’ll bet even Kuno felt that one.”

“Hmpf! I HATE BOYS! They’re nothing perverts and not even worth my effort!”

“Oh, and what about Dr. Tofu, hmm?” Nabiki teased as she saw Ranma approached them and waved. “Hi Ranma.”

“Hey Nabiki.” Ranma greeted as he stopped beside them. “So what’s this I hear about a doctor?”

“Oh nothing. It’s just that Akane’s had a crush on our family doctor since she was ten.” Nabiki replied, still in her teasing tone.

“I do not!” Akane retorted angrily. “Dr. Tofu is a little too old for me and besides, he likes Kasumi.”

Nabiki became a bit shocked to hear this. Akane had been mooning over the kindly chiropractor for years, and now she’s just dropping him, just like that? What was going on? She had considered Tofu as a real man while she considered boys to be nothing but perverts.

“Dr. Tofu is nice, but he’s not like Spider-Man! No BOY here is like Spider-Man!”

“Spider-Man? What are you talking about?” Ranma asked.

Akane gave him a glare as she replied. “Spider-Man protects the weak and innocent! He fights crime and defends justice, just like a TRUE martial artist! Not like a certain arrogant jerk of a houseguest who decides to call for the fire department or the police when trouble comes up! You‘re supposed to be the martial artist, so why do you try to be like him?” She gave Ranma another of her hostile glares before turning to leave for class.

“Well, well, well.” Nabiki commented as she watched her sister go into class. “It looks like my sister has found a new love interest in Spider-Man. She might even want to join that new Spider-Man Fan Club that came up yesterday.”
It was at that moment that Kuno suddenly sprang up and shouted in their ears.

“NO! THIS CANNOT BE! MY LOVE HAS BEEN ENSNARED IN SOME KIND OF BLACK MAGIC IF SHE PREFERS SOME SPIDER-DEMON OVER THE BLUE THUNDER OF FURINKAN HIGH!”

This caught Nabiki off guard as she backpedaled a bit from Kuno’s outburst. Ranma’s spider-sense had warned him, but he had to act shocked as he took a stance.

Kuno went on with ranting about how he would smite the spider-demon and free Akane from his sorcery and then noticed Ranma. “Oh, it’s you Saotome.”

“What do you want Kuno? You want to pick up were we left off?”

“You will address me as upperclassman. And why would I want dirty my hands with smiting a lowly peasant such as you?”

“Huh?” Ranma said with confusion. The last time they had met, he had been eager to take his head off, but now he considered him as not a concern for his quest to win Akane?
Kuno nodded as he explained. “By Akane’s own words, I now know that she is NOT interested in such a commoner so therefore, you are beneath my notice and shall be spared of my righteous fury. However, this spider-demon has entangled my tigress in his web and I shall strive to free her from him so that she may realize her true love... my glorious self!” He then took a pose and called out to the heavens while raising his bokken. “Beware Spider-Man! The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High shall smite thee with the blade of justice and claim that which is rightfully his!”

Both Nabiki and Ranma had large sweatdrops as Kuno departed. Ranma was especially confused at this turn of events.

<Now there’s a switch! Akane doesn’t care for me as Ranma Saotome, but worships Spider-Man. Kuno doesn’t consider me a threat, but thinks that Spider-Man is his rival for Akane! Sheesh! I wonder what else is going to happen?>

----------

Funny you should mention that...

“Well doctor? What do you think?”

Dr. Yamashita nodded after seeing news footage of Spider-Man saving a old lady from being run over by a speeding truck. The arachnid superhero had used his webbing to form a barrier to stop the vehicle from hitting the pedestrian. According to the scientist’s calculations, that web had a tensile strength of about 140lbs per square millimeter. It was certainly as strong, if not stronger than steel cable.

The monitor then showed a clip of Spider-Man dodging a hailstorm of bullets from a street gang, then crushing their weapons like paper. He certainly had the proportionate strength and agility of a spider. Now the main question was, how were they going to get a hold of him?

After seeing all the news footage and data that had been collected about Spider-Man, Dr. Yamashita decided that some special help was needed to catch him. Mere human agents would be useless against Spider-Man so the organization had decided to call on some specialists in the field of robotics. Yamashita even had their names and phone number. They a father and son team from America and were now traveling to Japan. Their names were Spencer and Alistair Smythe. They had come to the CEO with a proposal to build giant robots with tremendous abilities. With the appearance of Spider-Man, the director had decided to test out these new robots with the task to capture Spider-Man. The project was named Operation Spider Slayer.

To be continued...?

Author's Notes

Well I just couldn’t help it and I decided to add one more chapter to Web of Ranma. I suppose that this MIGHT become a regular series, but with all the other stories, it would be quite a grind. Still, all the comments that my readers have been giving me about this fic have been encouraging and I hope to hear more. Until then, in the words of Stan Lee... Excelsior!

Oh and by the way... I couldn’t help it, but I also have the theme song sung to the lyrics of the old Spider-Man Tv show of the 60’s.

Ranma is

Spider-Man!

Does much more than a spider can!

Martial arts,

Fighting crime

Spins some webs

Swings on lines

Look out!

Ranma is Spider-Man!

Is he strong?

That’s for sure!

Makes Ryoga look real poor!

See him swing

From a thread

Take a look

Overhead.

Hey there!

Ranma is Spider-Man!

From the Tendo home

He fights evil every night.

The bad guys are gonna groan,

‘Cause Ranma’s ready to win the fight!

Ranma is

Spider-Man!

Fighting crime is his plan!

A hero for Toyko.

Watch him swing, see him go!

Tune in!

Life is just a bang up!

Don’t let life hang you up!

Ranma is Spider-Man!