I don't know what I was thinking with this part... or (more 
importantly) WHAT THE HELL WAS I *ON* AT THE TIME?!!!  And why didn't 
I share with me?

Anywho, this chapter of TRIO contains the only character I am ashamed 
to admit I created, Joque, the crazed chef.  The only reason I'm 
reposting this chapter is because it's the one that introduced 
Setsuna and Trunks into this series.

So Comments are welcome (MSTs preferred) and try to get past this 
chapter without gagging.

The Flashman
May The Spirit Preserve You!
____________________________

				    TRIO:
				 WAGE SLAVES!

	Early morning.  The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon.  
It bathed the grass, the trees and generally the entire area in a 
fiery orange glow.

	Gohan hardly noticed it, since he was just getting back in.

	Ranma hardly noticed it, because he was too deep in thought about if 
he really was a guy or girl.

	Usagi didn't notice it at all, because she was still asleep.

	Ranma turned his head as the sound of a key being eased into a lock 
sounded.  He relaxed when he saw Gohan come in through the front door 
and was inwardly grateful for the unexpected interruption to his 
thoughts.  "Hey Gohan," Ranma called out in greeting, "How's it going?
"

	"Okay," Gohan replied.

	"If you don't mind me asking, what's kept YOU out so late?"

	"Ummm," Gohan was visibly nervous, "nothing.  Nothing at all.  I'm 
going to hit the sack for a bit."

	He quickly left the room, leaving Ranma with question marks 
practically written on his face.  Ranma shrugged and dismissed it as 
just one of his friends quirks.  Then he decided that it was time to 
make sure a certain deal was held up. (See chapter 4 for details)

	He walked up the stairs and instead of turning right for his room, 
he turned left and knocked on Usagis door.  No answer.  Assuming it 
was all right he entered.  The girl was completely oblivious to his 
entrance and continued to snore away.  Ranma looked at her and said, 
"Usagi.  Time to wake up."

	Nothing.  He raised his voice, "It's time to wake up!"

	Still nothing.  He yelled, "WAKE UP ALREADY WOULD YA!"

	Usagi stirred slightly but instantly fell back to sleep.  Ranma then 
decided to change tactics.  If vocal stimulus wasn't working, try 
physical.  He leaned over her bed and started to shake her softly.  
After several seconds with no response, he grabbed her by the collar 
and shook her back and forth as he yelled, "WAKE UP!"

	"I don't wanna," Usagi sleepily muttered.

	Ranma released her collar and took deep breaths as he tried to 
compose himself.  Then he grabbed her around the waist and tried to 
pull her off the bed.  Usagis hands instinctively grabbed the edges 
of the bed and no matter how hard Ranma pulled he couldn't move her 
an inch.  "Man," he thought after two minutes of pulling, "I'll bet 
not even Gohan could budge her."

	He let go and stood up, contemplating his next move.  An idea took 
shape and crystallized in his mind.  If this didn't work, nothing 
would.

	He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Breakfast."

	Usagi snapped open her eyes and sat up so fast that Ranma was bowled 
over.  She sniffed the air and imediatly realized something was wrong 
when she didn't smell anything.  Then she looked and saw Ranma 
getting to his feet.  "HEY," she shrieked in surprise, "What are you, 
some kind of pervert?!  I mean, entering a girls room without even 
knocking?!"

	Ranma stood back up and said, "Sorry.  It's just.... hey, wait a 
minute!  I DID knock!  You were just too out of it to hear me!"

	"Really?"

	"Yes."

	"Oh," then Usagi asked, "Umm... why ARE you in here in the first 
place?"

	"Remember the deal we made in the junkyard?"

	"Oh," Usagi groaned in understanding, "THAT."

	"Yep.  I just wanted to inform you your first lesson is this 
afternoon."

	"You woke me up from a fabulous dream just for THAT!!!"

	"No.  Also, we better get started on the OTHER thing we have to do.
"

	Usagi didn't answer that as she knew what Ranma was talking about.  
They had to find jobs.  This was NOT going to be fun.  Not at all.

	Later that day...

	Usagi walked down the street, holding a rather unweildly pile of job 
applications in her arms.  Her view was blocked, so she was 
unprepared as she bumped into a rather tough looking girl.  The two 
of them fell on their butts and the soda which had been in the tough 
girls hand went flying and spilled over the applications.  "Oh no," 
Usagi cried, "my applications."

	"My soda!" the tough yelled.

	They both got to their feet and the girl started to shove Usagi 
threateningly.  "Man," she growled, "Dat wuz my last one!"

	"I-I'm sorry," Usagi gulped.

	"'Sorry' don't covah it."

	"I think it does," someone behind them said.

	They both turned to see a man in his early twenties.  Long grey hair 
with a purplish tint sat atop his head, which possessed incredibly 
blue eyes.  He was dressed in blue jeans, and he had on a closed 
jacket with the words "Capsule Corp." embroider on the right side.  
This did very little to cover the fact that he was obviously well 
built.  He regarded both of them with a cool grin.  "This ain't got 
nothin' ta do wit ya," the tough threatened.

	"When a young lady is threatened by a punk?  I think it does."

	The girl growled and pulled out a pocket knife, "Shut up and leave 
or else both a ya get a taste a my blade instead a just the girlie 
here."

	"That's not a blade..." the stranger said.

	Neither of the two women had noticed the broad sword draped across 
the mans back until he had drawn it and pointed the business end at 
the punk.  "Now THIS is a blade," he finished.

	The girl paled and the man said, "Now apologize to this young lady 
and get lost."

	"Sorry," the girl said and beat feet as quickly as she could.

	The man sheathed his sword and Usagi said, "Thank you very much."

	The man smiled and replied, "No problem.  By the way, I noticed that 
your looking for a job?"

	Usagi nodded and the man said, "You're in luck.  My partner and I 
just opened an antique store and we need some help keeping the place 
straight.  Come on, I'll introduce you to her.  My name's Troy."

	"Usagi," Usagi replied as the two of them walked down the street.

	Meanwhile.....

	Ranma dumped the bottle of cold water over himself.  As he did so a 
voice in the back of his head said, "You know, one of these days your 
going to have to find out if your really a guy or a girl."

	She told the voice to shut up and mind its own business.  Then Ranma-
chan looked at the door in front of her.  "Head Waitress position 
open" it read.

	She sighed and was about to open the door when someone opened it 
from inside, slamming the door into her face.  A woman in a pink 
waitress outfit stormed out and yelled, "THAT'S IT!  I CAN'T WORK FOR 
THAT MANIAC!!!"

	"Wait," a man in a brown business suit said as he rushed out after 
her, nearly running over Ranma-chan, who had staggered out from 
behind the door, in the process, "Come back.  Please."

	Ranma-chan coughed.  The man turned around and with a maniacal glint 
in his eyes he grabbed her by the shoulders and asked, "Have you come 
for the job interview?  PLEASE, tell me you've come for the job 
interview!"

	"Ahh... yeah I guess I ha...." she was cut off as the man in the 
business suit pulled her inside.

	"Thank God!" the man said and then without wasting another moment 
added, "You can have the job if you do one thing."

	"What's that?" Ranma-chan asked, curiosity getting the better of her.


	"Survive two hours with HIM."

	Ranma-chan looked to where the man pointed and saw a guy in a french 
cooks outfit, with a black, thin handle bar moustache, and brown eyes 
that had a strange glint in them.  He was cooking up a storm as he 
prepared many different dishes for the customers.  Ranma-chan looked 
at the man in the suit and said, "I don't understand."

	"You will," the man replied, "his name is Jouqe.  Now get to work."

	He tossed Ranma-chan an apron, which she put on over her street 
clothes and she got to work.  She had a basic idea of what waitresses 
were supposed to do, so she was able to handle things pretty well for 
the first half hour and then....

	"Hey new keed," Jouqe said in a high pitched, obviously heavily put 
on French accent, "catch zis."

	He tossed a plate with spaghetti and meatballs on it at Ranma-chan 
and instinctively she caught it without a single meatball falling off.
  "Hey," Ranma-chan complained, "What was THAT for?"

	She heard several of the other waitresses mutter, "It's lunchtime, 
that's what."

	Jouqe "humph"ed and thought, "Zis new one has good reflexous.  Let 
us see if she has anee good taste as well."

	"Oy, new keed," Jouqe said, "I want yew to try somezing."

	Ranma-chan approached cautiously as she heard some more of the other 
waitresses mutter, "Here it comes."

	Jouqe handed her a meatball and said, "Try zis and tell me what yew 
zink.  Hauh, hauh, hauh."

	Ranma-chan placed the meatball into her mouth.  She chewed and she 
found it be pretty tasty.  Actually, it was good.  Much better then 
Usagis cooking... but then, Usagi had only done it once before all 
three of them had agreed that take out would be the safest rout.  Not 
to mention the fact that they were still trying to get the spaghetti 
stains out of the ceiling.

	She swallowed and Jouqe asked, "Now.  Ez zat ze best thing you have 
evar tasted in your life or what?"

	While it had been very good, Ranma-chan had the feeling that she had 
eaten something in the past which had been better.  She couldn't 
remember what but she knew it was something that started with an "o" 
and had a LONG name.

	"It's good," Ranma-chan admitted, "but I've had better."

	That proved to be the WRONG thing to say, as everybody cringed and 
Jouqe pulled out a giant egg beater.  He waved it menacingly and 
growled, "Yew have insulted my cooking!  Now yew must diee!!!"

	Ranma-chan felt a strange sense of deja vu as she got into a 
fighting stance (which earned a gasp from the others) and replied, 
"Hey!  What's your problem?  I said it was good!"

	"Yew did not say it was the best!  My food will not be called worst 
zen the best!  Yew will pay for insulting the honer of my food!" then 
the wako cook asked, "What ez your name?"

	"Ranma Satome."

	"'Ranma' eh?  I shall tuurn yew into dog food zen!"

	Time to see if Usagi is doing any better....

	The first thing she noticed about the antique shop was....

	It was a real MESS.

	Dust clung to everything.  Things were haphazardly stacked on tables 
and shelves.  The whole place had a strange, musty oder to it.  At 
the same time however, the smell also had a sweet quality to it.  The 
smell of old things, both attractive and repulsive at the same time.

	An old grandfather clock slowly ticked away as Troy called out, "Hey 
Susan!"

	The woman named Susan poked her head out of a door in the back and 
when she saw Troy she stepped into the room and asked, "Yes?"

	"I've got somebody here you might want to meet."

	Susan was a woman who had an ageless face, darkly tanned skin, long 
wavy dark green hair, a tall figure and an emotionally blank 
expression.

	The expression only lasted until she saw Usagi and then for the 
briefest of moments it turned into a look of surprise, followed by a 
small smile and then back to its neutral position.  Usagi was 
confused and asked, "Do I know you?"

	Susan looked at her from the front.  Then she started to circle 
Usagi and when she reached the front again, said, "I do not believe 
so."

	"Oh," was all Usagi could think of to say in reply.

	"Anyway," Troy interrupted, "Think she's right for the job?"

	Susan smiled and replied, "I think so," then she turned to Usagi and 
asked, "That is of course, if you want it."

	Usagi couldn't believe her luck.  She had envisioned herself having 
to go home and fill out endless amounts of paperwork and then have to 
send it in and THEN having to wait to see if she had been accepted or 
not. This just seemed too good to be true.  "Sure," she replied in a 
slight daze, "what do I have to do?"

	"Come here tommorow at..." Susan looked at the clock, "9 AM and 
we'll descuss what your duties will be."

	Usagi nodded and with a "Thank you very much," she started to leave.


	"Hold it," Troy yelled as he caught up with her outside, "I think," 
he handed a slip of paper to her, "you're going to need this."

	Usagi looked at it and saw that it was directions to the store. Also,
 written at the very bottom, in different handwriting, was, "PS: Your 
starting pay will be $200 a day."

	Usagi looked at Troy and noticed that his expression mirrored hers.  
One of complete and total shock.  Again, Usagi inwardly thanked 
whatever being that was watching over her.  She smiled at Troy and 
said, "See you tommorow."

	"Uhh, yeah, tommorow."  Troy still seemed a bit out of it.

	As Usagi merrily skipped down the street, Troy shook his head and 
went back inside.  He turned to Susan and said, "Setsuna, are you 
SURE we can cover this?"

	Setsuna aka Susan, replied, "Do not worry Trunks.  I know ways of 
acquiring extra funds if necesarry."

	Trunks aka Troy, sighed and said, "As cryptic as always I see."

	"Yes,"  Setsuna replied, "and I prefer it that way."

	"Now why does that NOT surprise me?"

	"Still," Setsuna said, "I never thought we would find them this soon.
"

	"Yeah.  I wonder how Gohan is doing."

	Now let's check on Gohan.....

	Gohan was nervous, he though of maybe stopping before it was too 
late.  His hand reached for the door and stopped.  Could he go 
through with this?

	His decision was made for him as the door opened and a woman in a 
business dress started to leave.  She stopped as she noticed Gohan 
and said, "Oh excuse me, can I help you?"

	"Ummm," Gohan decided to bite the bullet, "I'm the person you talked 
to on the phone about that business you needed taken care of."

	"Oh," the woman nodded in understanding, "Please come in."

	He did.

	Okay, NOW we go back to Ranma....

	Jouqe swung his giant egg beater at Ranma-chan and Ranma-chan ducked.
  Jouqe then swung it at Ranmas feet and she jumped over it and 
landed on the cooks head.  Jouqe grunted and spun so that Ranma-chan 
lost her balance and fell to the floor.  Jouqe raised his egg beater 
and brought it down.  Ranma-chan rolled out of the way and the beater 
left a large crack in the floor.

	The others had wisely decided to clear out and let the two dueling 
warriors have all the room they needed.  Ranma-chan quickly realized 
however that the kitchen wasn't enough.  "I'm faster as a female but 
I need room to maneuver."

	"Come on," she taunted, "follow me!"

	"I'm right behind you!" Jouqe roared.

	The two of them leaped over the counter, past the surprised 
customers and out the front door.  They ran into the middle of the 
street and Ranma-chan spun to face her charging opponent.  Jouqe let 
out a battle cry as he swung his beater over his head like a bo staff.
  Ranma-chan was getting tired of this and decided to end it.

	As Jouqe brought his beater down in an overhead swing, Ranma-chan 
grabbed it in mid-swing with her left hand and then using her other 
hand, she broke it with a chop.  Jouqe looked at the broken weapon 
and halted his charge.  There was dead silence and then Jouqe began 
to laugh.  His laugh held no malice however and he threw his arm 
around Ranma-chans shoulders.

	"I LIKE YOU!" Jouqe said.

	"Great," Ranma-chan gasped as Jouqes "friendly" squeeze crushed the 
breath out of her.

	"I like someone who can keep up with me," Jouqe said, suddenly all 
trace of his accent disappearing, "and all my quirks."

	"Wha.." Ranma-chan started to ask.

	"'What happened to my accent?'  I only work with the best.  So I 
have to go to some pretty extreme measures to make sure who is the 
best."

	Ranma-chan just blinked and the Jouqe smiled as he said, "So how 
about it?  Ten dollars an hour?  Paid sick leave?  Vacations?"

	Ranma-chan thought about it and then said, "You've got a deal."

	"This," Jouqe said as he lead Ranma-chan back to the restaurant, "is 
going to be the start to a beautiful relationship."

	Ranma-chan inwardly shivered in apprehension.

	That night....

	The three of them sat at the table, devouring the take home chicken 
as they each went over the days events.  "So," Ranma (male again) 
said around a chicken leg after he had finished telling his tale, 
"how did your days go?"

	Usagi smiled and chirped, "I wanna go next!"

	Gohan waved his hand and said, "Go right ahead.  Your ready to fly 
apart at the seams if you don't get off whatever on your chest."

	Usagi went on to tell the details of her encounter with "Troy" and 
"Susan".  The others look at her in surprise.  "You're kidding right?
" Ranma asked, "I mean, this can't have really happened."

	"It did I tell you," Usagi protested, "Why won't believe me?!"

	"We believe you," Gohan said quickly, "it's just a surprise is all.
"

	"And what about YOU?" Ranma and Usagi asked Gohan similtaniously.

	"Umm, well, err, uhhh, that is, ehh," was the most vocal thing Gohan 
could muster.

	"You struck out didn't you?" Ranma said with a grin.

	"Not exactly," Gohan replied, "I'd just rather not talk about it."

	The other two looked at each other and shrugged.  They decided to 
let it drop.... for now at least.

END OF EPISODE

NEXT: Okay, back to business.  The Eclipse Syndicate is back!  
However, they aren't going after our heros and the Trio happens to 
stumble onto their evil plot.  However, new foes in the form of Brunt 
and Bombard make their first appearance.  Can the Trio defeat this 
deadly duo?

Find out in the next chapter of TRIO!