=========================================================

        The day had been slow at the Ucchan, which was not unusual in the
hours between breakfast and lunch on Sunday afternoons. Dressed in her
standard chef's garb, Ukyo Kuonji mentally checked off the minor
necessities. The griddle had been scraped, the ingredients stocked and
ready, the floor mopped and counters wiped. All in all, she had nothing left
to do but hurry up and wait for customers.

        Grateful for the chance to kick up her heels a little, she retired
to the small stool situated behind the counter. It wasn't much, but it was
downright comfortable. She gazed at the small television she kept for the
customers at the far end of the counter in the hope that something good was
on. Seeing only some stupid game show, she rolled her eyes and reached for a
manga that she kept handy for slow periods.

        Sitting on the stool, she soon lost herself in the story of the
manga. It was one of the more romantic ones, with the timid girl falling
deeply and hoplessly in love with an impossibly suave man. She never was
much on shojo manga, but this one managed to keep her attention as she
imagined herself in the girl's place, with Ranma as the...

        The sound of the door sliding open startled her out of her manga.
Embarrassed, she quickly rose to her feet and cheerfully greeted the customer.

        He was a man of medium height, probably not more than 5' 9". He wore
a charcoal grey three-piece with black leather shoes polished almost to
gleaming. His black hair was short and neat, his face strong and handsome.
He looked about for a minute or two, as though he was taking in the sights,
such as they were. Once done, he strode up to the counter and took a seat.

        "May I help you, sir?" she asked in her most cheerful tone.

        He gazed at the menu board on the wall behind Ukyo for a moment
before replying,

        "Hmmm... it all looks so good. I'll take the number three."

        "One number three comin' right up, sugar!" Ukyo immediately set to
work, pouring the batter onto the hot surface of the grill. While the batter
cooked, she gathered about the assorted spices and meats that made up her
number three special.

        "I have to admit," he said in a smooth tone, "this is a lovely place
you have here, miss...?"

        "Kuonji," she answered. "Ukyo Kuonji." She flipped the small disc
and began to sprinkle on the spices. She cast him a quick glance. If she
didn't know better, she think this guy was hitting on her.

        "I'm Ryo Sanzaki," he replied with a short bow of his head and
shoulders. "I'm new in town, and I had a craving for okonomiyaki. I heard
this was the best place in town."

        "Why thanks, honey," she said. Now she knew the guy was hitting on
her. Ucchan's was the ONLY okonomiyaki place in Nerima. Within moments, the
dish was finished and placed before Ryo, who began eating with gusto. She
took a few moments to ponder a way to let him down easy. After all, he
seemed like a nice enough guy, there wasn't any real reason to just drop him
like she would Tsubasa. He finished the okonomiyaki, and leaned back with a
satisfied sigh.

        "Oh, that was good." He leaned forward a little, his eyes staring
right into Ukyo's. "Now that the formalities are out of the way, we can
discuss business." 

        Ukyo frowned slightly. That had to be the weirdest pick-up line
she'd ever heard. "What business?"

        "This restaurant, is it insured?" he asked.

        "Of course it is," she replied. Now she wasn't so sure the guy was
hitting on her. Was he trying to get her to sell?

        "That's good," he said. "Very good. Accidents happen, and it always
pays to have insurance." Ukyo was going past confused at this point. Just
what the hell was this guy's game? For a moment, Ukyo almost wished Nabiki
were there. She'd probably know what he was talking about.

        "Are you an insurance salesman or somethin'?" she asked. He chuckled
deeply for a few seconds before answering.

        "I suppose so," he said after the chuckling subsided. "I represent a
group that seeks to protect the small business. For a small monthly; shall
we say, premium, insure you and your property against...accidents."

        Ukyo didn't like where this was going, not one bit. He wasn't... he
couldn't be... not in Nerima of all places. He rose from his stool, and
strode to the center of the restaurant. 

        "It's always tragic when an accident happens, especially to one so
young and pretty. We can make sure that..."

============================================================================
===========

        He cast another glance at the door to the Ucchan. The shop curtain
billowed lazily in the soft breeze of the warm spring day. There weren't
many people out on the streets, just the occasional salaryman or other sort
of pedestrian.

        "Ryo, what's taking so damn long?" he muttered. He turned back the
key to the black sedan in which he sat. He fiddled with the right knob until
he found a song that he liked. Settling back in the seat, he continued to
wait for Ryo.

        A loud crashing noise sounded from across the street. He whipped his
head around in time to see Ryo hit the ground amid fragments of the thin
sliding door. On the other side of the hole stood a very angry girl in the
garb of an okonomiyaki chef. She weilded an impossibly large metal spatula
like a weapon, and was shouting at Ryo.

        "Ryo, you dumb son of a bitch," he said angrily. Ryo rose from the
pavement, but was just a little shaky on his feet. He could tell the girl
had roughed his partner up a bit before launching him. He said something,
and strode over to the car.

        Once Ryo entered, he started the car and took off down the street.

        "You all right?"

        "I've been better, Tetsuo," Ryo replied. He leaned back in the
comfortable seat.

        "Don't tell me you tried to intimidate her," Tetsuo said. "She's one
of those weird martial artists that hang around here."

        "She didn't give me the chance," Ryo answered. "But it's no big deal."

        "Once word gets out that some little bitch stood up, what's gonna
stop someone else from doing the same?" asked Tetsuo. "If you ask me, this
is a bad idea."

        "That's just it. I'm NOT asking you," Ryo said harshly. "Trust me,
after tonight, nobody will stand up to us."

============================================================================
===========

        Ukyo looked at the brand new door that adorned the front of her
restaurant. She knew she really couldn't afford it, but it was an absolute
necessity. She carried the mop and bucket into the closet with the rest of
the cleaning supplies. After closing the door, she silently cursed the loss
of business due to the crew replacing her door. Granted, Sundays were rather
slow, but she still needed the money. Running a restaurant wasn't cheap,
after all.

        Stretching, she made her way up the stairs to the small apartment
she called home. As she removed the chef's outfit, she recalled the last
customer of the day, the one she launched through the door.

        "Boy, he had a lot of nerve," Ukyo muttered as she donned the white
chemise, one of the few articles of feminine clothing she owned. She had
considered calling the police, but decided against it. If that asshole
thought that she was just some young girl who could be intimidated easily,
he had another thing coming.

        She breifly considered calling the police, but had decided against
it. She wasn't some helpless girl, after all. Besides, that guy would never
show his face in her restaurant again. She did, however, want to go to
Ranma. Hearing about someone threatening his dear Ucchan would instantly put
him in protector mode, and that would be a great chance to get close to him.
Ukyo pondered the notion a little longer, not bothering to note that he'd
also do the exact same thing for Akane, or maybe even Shampoo.

         Ukyo reluctantly ended her fantasy. She had really showed him, and
would gladly do so another time if he ever showed his face in her restaurant
again. Only then, she wouldn't launch him through the door. The thing cost
too much to replace.

        Cutting the lights, she climbed beneath the covers of her small bed
and drifted off to sleep.

============================================================================
===========

        The figure crouched before the door to the Ucchan. After glancing
around to see if the area was clear, he started to work on the lock. In
seconds, the door was open and the figure inside.

        He walked in silence, his movements graceful and fluid. He was
almost one with the shadows. In seconds, he was behind the counter, turning
the knobs on the griddle.

        There were several knobs, each corresponding to a certain portion of
the griddle's surface. One like she used had to consume lots of gas. If she
ever left a valve open...

        Leaving the griddle, he moved to the stairs leading up to the
apartment. Siently, he climbed the stairs and knelt at the door which opened
onto her tiny apartment. In seconds, he had adhered a small strip of fine
grit sandpaper beneath the door. A kitchen match was taped upside down on
the door, the head in contact with the paper.

        The trap, while crude, would be effective. 

============================================================================
===========

        The alarm blared, startling Ukyo out of her restful slumber. With
bleary eyes, she cast an angry glare at the clock.

        //Four a.m.,\\ she thought. //I HATE getting up this early.\\
Unpleasant though it was, she had to get up early to prepare for the
breakfast rush. Reluctantly, she crawled out of the bed. Stumbling to her
wardrobe, she removed another chef's outfit. She looked at her school
uniforms hanging by themselves in their own part of the closet. She groaned
slightly at the sight of them. Having to change clothes twice in one morning
was a bit of a bother.

        She walked clumsily into the small bathroom and stepped into the
small shower. She really wished she had a proper Japanese bath, but the
apartment was too small to accommodate one.

        After a few moments, she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around
her body. She moved to her small vanity, about to pick up the bandage to
bind her breasts when she finally noticed the smell.

        //Oh, damn! GAS!\\ Her heart in her throat, she sprinted over to the
door...

============================================================================
===========

        Dawn was rapidly breaking over the still-sleeping ward of Nerima.
The streets were quiet, save for the chirping of a few crickets. A few birds
began chirping in the dawn light as the sun began its slow ascent into the sky. 

        The peace was utterly destoyed as an explosion roared into the sky.
The area around the Ucchan was lit as though another sun was rising from the
spot where the restaurant once stood, the force of the blast shattering
windows of buildings around the site as the massive cloud of flames reached
upward to the early morning sky.

============================================================================
===========

        Ranma sat bolt upright at the sound. He gazed about the room,
wondering what had happened. He rose to his feet and moved to the door,
stepping over the still-sleeping form of his old man. He stepped out into
the hall, and almost ran into Akane.

        "Ranma?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep. "What was that?"

        "How should I know?" he replied crossly. 

        "What's goin' on?" Nabiki asked tiredly. "Sounds like something blew
up out there." The piercing wail of sirens raced past, almost as if on cue.

        "An explosion?" Akane asked."How? Where?" The three walked into the
living room to find an already awake Kasumi staring out the window at a
glowing red light in the distance. Ranma walked over to the window and gazed
at the angry red glow.

        "Hey, somethin's burnin'," he said. "Wonder what?" Turning around,
he walked back up the stairs.

        "Where are you going, Ranma?" Akane asked.

        "I'm gonna get dressed and see what this is all about." He didn't
even slow down as he answered her question.

============================================================================
===========

        Pumper trucks lined the narrow streets of Nerima as the sun
continued to rise in the sky. Firefighters rushed about, carrying hoses and
shouting orders. At the edges of the scene, an ever-growing crowd of
onlookers gathered behind the brightly painted sawhorses. The crowd
murmurred to itself, theories about what happened running rampant.

        Ranma's guts twisted as he neared the conflagration. He knew the
route well, having travelled it many times himself. He hoped Ukyo was all
right, what with a fire so close to her place. Nothing could have prepared
him, however, for the truth.

        He refused to accept it at first, it just wasn't possible. Where the
Ucchan should have been was a raging blaze. The cacophony of noise was
almost overwhelming as he fought his way through the crowd for a better
look. Firefighters in their bulky suits raced about, shouting and spraying
water onto the flame in forceful torrents in an attempt to extinguish it. 

        Ranma feverishly scanned the crowd, hoping to see Ukyo. Surely she
made it out. She COULDN'T be... not Ucchan...

        "Oh, no..." Ranma turned to see a horrified Akane standing behind
him. Her hair was still dissheveled and her clothes were mis-matched, as
though she dressed in a hurry. Ranma leapt over the sawhorses and charged
toward the blaze. He didn't notice the three fireman rushing forward to
restrain him.

        "UCCHAN!" he screamed, fear growing inside him. She made it
out...She HAD to have made it out... //Please say she made it out.\\ The
heat was almost unbearable as he rushed about in search of her, as though
his skin itself were beginning to burn. Three firefighters grabbed him from
behind, yelling for him to get back behind the barricade. "UCCHAN!" He broke
free of their grip, and ran back toward the raging fire. Finally, someone's
arms closed around him like iron and the person began to drag him back.
Ranma furiously struggled against the mysterious person, but the obviously
female arms wouldn't loosen up.

        "UCCHAN!"

============================================================================
===========

Thanks go to Grayson Towler for giving this the once-over and spotting my
mistakes.

Jed