This is the start of a series that I have not named yet.  I have an 
outline, and this is the first installment.  Any C & C would be greatly 
appreciated!



"Well, if Ryoga thinks he's gonna trick Akane into going out on a 'date' 
with him, he's got another think coming!"  Ranma fumed as he busily went 
through Akane's closet for some suitable clothing.  "Stupid tomboy should 
know better than agree to an idea of Uchan's when Ryoga is' involved!"
	Finding a suitably long, feminine dress, Ranma returns to his own room.  
Lifting a glass of water, he grimaces and pours it over his head.  In 
place of the muscular, raven haired teen aged boy is a petite, yet 
voluptuous red haired girl of about the same age.  "Stupid, stupid Akane 
doesn't even appreciate what I go through for her!"  Stripping out of 
his, or rather her,  now wet shirt and trousers, Ranma-chan puts on the 
dark colored dress.  Furtively looking around, making sure no one is 
watching, Ranma reaches into the dresser and pulls out a long brunette 
wig and a make up case.  
	Grimacing again, Ranma puts on the wig and carries the make up case to 
the door.  Sticking her head out the door, she sneaks down the hallway to 
Akane's room again.  Reaching in Ranma grabs Akane's spare purse "Should 
have grabbed this the first time."  Again making sure no one is around to 
see, Ranma hightails it down to the bathroom to put on the make up.  
"Don't see how girls can stand to put this stuff on everyday."  
	It takes twenty minutes of screwups and primping, but finally Ranma 
manages to get the make up on right.  The results are spectacular.   In 
the place of the red haired Chinese girl is a sexy looking brunette that 
bears no resemblance.  Ranma admires the finished product.  "Perfect, 
Ryoga won't recognize me when I pounce on him and pretend to be a long 
lost girlfriend!  If that doesn't send Akane home, I don't know what 
will!"  Whistling happily, Ranma walks out of the dojo for his 
'appointment' with Akane and Ryoga at Uchan's.

	Shoki McLaren was again marveling at how cramped the Nerima district of 
Tokyo seemed to him.  Having been raised in the United States, he was 
more used to open areas and wider streets.  It had been six years since 
he had left the states, but he still thought in American terms.  He was 
an average looking young man of about 18, with dark brown hair.  He was 
dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, carrying a hockey bag over his left 
shoulder.  Turning a street corner, he took another step and heard the 
sound of a terrified girl.
	"AAAAIIIGGGHHHH!!!!   Ryoga, it was a joke, take it easy!"
	"No way Ranma!  Your not going to get away with it this time!"  
	Suddenly, a women jumped from the top of a building ahead, without even 
bothering to look down.  Several yellow and black objects went whirling 
past her like shuirkens.  Her long dress billowed up around her waist 
preventing a good look at the ground anyway.  McLaren, however, got a 
good look at a pair of shapely legs and a pair of boxer shorts.    This 
struck him as an odd combination.  He also realized that the  she was on 
a collision course with him.  With out thinking he reached out and caught 
her just before she hit the ground.
	"Huh?"  Ranma said intelligently as she found herself looking into a 
pair of shockingly blue eyes, and held by a pair of strong arms.
	"Hello, may I be of service to you ma'am?"  He was surely gajiin, but 
his japanese was excellent.  Trying to think fast, Ranma heard Ryoga's 
battlecry as he too leapt off the building.
	"Oh, please mister, save me from that terrible man!"  Ranma used her 
most girly voice and blinked her eyelashes fiercely.
	"'kay,"  was all the stranger said as he slung Ranma to the ground and 
out of the way.  Without bothering to take the bag off of his shoulder, 
he waited for Ryoga to fall to him.  Reaching out, he grasped Ryoga's 
wrist with a thumb and forefinger and redirected his path.  Ryoga's face 
met the ground at a high rate of speed and the pavement cracked under the 
impact. 
	Turing to the girl he had just 'saved', McLaren switched to his most 
proper Japanese manner.  "Well now, what has such a pretty girl done to 
deserve such unkind attention?  Pardon me, but where are my manners?   My 
name is Shoki McLaren, but you can call me Mac.  You are?"
	"Well, my name is Ra-"
	"His  name is Mud!"  Screamed another female voice.  Mac looked up to 
see another young woman leap from the building.  This one however was 
holding a large, wooden mallet.  Mac knew there was no way he could 
deflect the blow without hurting the girl.  Shoving the first girl 
roughly behind him, he closed his eyes and cursed himself for getting 
involved in someone's domestic squabb-

	"Geez, Akane, you don't even know who he is and you clobber him!"  
Ranma-chan taunted.
	"Well, It's your fault for hiding behind a complete stranger!"  She 
looks down at the fallen man.  Biting her lip worriedly she says "do you 
think I hurt him too bad?"
	"Naw, people always lay in the middle of the street unconscious!  Well, 
the only thing to do is get him and Ryoga home and woke up."  Ranma 
looked at the two prone figures thoughtfully.  "It would sure be easier 
if we turned Ryoga into P-chan," she mumbled to herself.
	"What was that Ranma?"  Akane demanded.  
	"Nothing, we just better get moving."
	"Well,"  Akane fumed, "don't think your off the hook for today!"
	
	Mac awoke with a splitting headache.  However long practice taught him 
to keep his eyes closed and use his other senses to tell him a little 
about his surroundings.  Tactile:  he was laying on something that felt 
like a cushion on the floor and something cold was on his forehead.  
Smell:  the mouthwatering aroma of home cooking, and the faint hint of 
perfume.  Auditory:  clinking of dishes, and a low voiced argument going 
on over his head.
	"But Kasumi, it was Ranma's fault for hiding behind a stranger!"
	"Yes Akane, but you were the one who struck him.  Your dimensional 
hammer is a very dangerous weapon, and you must be careful how you use 
it.  Especially since not everyone is as tough as Ranma."
	Sensing no danger to himself, Mac slowly opened his eyes.  Kneeling to 
either side of him were two very beautiful girls.  The one on the right 
was older, with long hair.  He guessed her age at about twenty, but she 
had an undefinable air of someone who was wise beyond her years.  She had 
what looked to be a first aid kit in her hands.  The girl on his left was 
a few years younger, with her hair cut shorter and was very cute.  He 
also remembered her from just before his losing consciousness.  She was 
the one who had given him this headache.  Just then the older girl 
noticed he was awake.
	"Oh, my.  Your awake.  I'm Kasumi.  How are you feeling?" She smiled in 
a very real and reassuring way.
	"Uh, I'm feeling better.  At least so far."  Just feeling like he had 
been hit by a freight train, he didn't add.
	A beeping sound from behind momentarily got Kasumi's attention.  "Oh, I 
need to get to the kitchen and finish dinner.  Lie down for a while 
longer until the aspirin we gave you starts to work.  If you need 
anything, please let me know."  With that, Kasumi got up and walked out 
of Mac's line of sight.  He then noticed that the other girl was about to 
burst.
	"I'm so sorry!"  She blurted.  "I didn't mean to hit you, I was aiming 
for Ranma.  You just kind of got in the way."  She turned red stammered 
on "could you forgive me?  I'm really, really sorry..."
	"Yes, I can forgive you, under one condition."
	"Anything!"  She almost shouted with relief.
	"Promise you won't do that again!"  Sheepishly she nodded and started to 
say something else when she was interrupted by a man's voice.
	"Akane, why don't you set the table while I speak with our guest?"
	"Yes, father."  With that, Akane gave Mac's hand a quick pat, got up and 
left.
	Mac decided that he felt well enough to sit up and did so.  The man that 
entered the room was fairly tall, with long dark hair and a mustache.  
Striding over, he knelt next to McLaren and began to speak.  "Very sorry 
about all the trouble my daughter Akane and her fiancee Ranma have caused 
you.  My name is Soun Tendo, and I would be greatly honored if you would 
stay with us until you are recovered.  You are?"
	"I'm Shoki McLaren.  Everybody calls me Mac though."  At Soun's puzzled 
look he elaborated:  "My mother was Japanese businesswoman, and my father 
was an American Cop."  Suddenly something the man had said sank into 
Mac's brain.  "You said your name was Tendo?"
	The man looked surprised at the sudden interest in the boy's voice.  
"Why, yes it is."
	"You wouldn't happen to know about the Tendo School of Anything Goes 
Martial Arts would you?"
	"You have heard of my dojo?"  Soun asked, with obvious pride.
	"Yes, I have been looking for this place.  I wanted to come here to 
study.  Would you be willing to take on a new pupil?"


Big Bore and the Nitro Express!