The floor was soft, like a wrestling mat, and there were low couches and tables spaced evenly around the room.
It reminded Li and Lupin of a dentist's office for some reason.
Three of them, representing three age groups, representing three completely different approaches to life, three different nations, three different ways to handle this.
For Li Showron at age eleven, this was vindication. His entire life prior to meeting Sakura had been the return of the Clow Cards to his family and the resultant return of honor. Sakura was the CardCaptor now, and while he had eventually come to terms with what he'd repeatedly been told was his purpose in life being tossed out the window, now he had a new Purpose. One that was clearly defined. He therefore waited with as much dignity as he could.
"We gotta break outta here!"
Li frowned at the utter lack of dignity being shown by one of his cellmates.
The other cellmate looked the youth over and frowned. "You've been saying that since we got here. Now if you'd tell me exactly how we're supposed to get from here back to Earth?"
Ranma continued thumping the wall and listening to it. "We break out, commandeer one of their ships, land in Nerima, poof - no problem."
Arsene Lupin was middle aged, though he dyed his hair to conceal it. He was experienced in a few dozen languages and had done more in a decade than some people accomplished in a lifetime. That he was an international thief and "adventurer" was besides the point.
Li Showron, despite his years, was a pretty darn good martial artist and had access to some magic as well. Admittedly he wasn't a Master Sorcerer, but as these aliens had left him his sword and summoning papers - he could throw elemental bolts with the best of them.
He had come to the conclusion that Lupin was a weasel and Ranma was an idiot.
"Assuming we find an alien vessel that we can 'hotwire'," reasonably explained Lupin, "despite ludicrous American movies, how do we go about piloting it? I can fly a number of aircraft, but this technology doesn't seem quite compatible with what I've piloted before."
"We'll worry about that when we got one," said Ranma, who then came up with a "brilliant" idea. (Proving that he was indeed Genma's son.) Grabbing a bowl of water left on one of the tables, he upended it over himself.
"Now that I wasn't expecting," admitted Lupin as he looked over the wet redhead. "Damn. You could give Fujiko a run for the money."
"Oh, mister aliens, I think you got the wrong person! There's no Ranma Saotome here!" The girl called out.
Li blinked. "Jusenkyo? You were stupid enough to go to Jusenkyo? Or are you gender dysphoric and wanted to change your life?"
"Huh? Hey, it was my stupid oyaji's idea!" Ranma spluttered and wondered what 'dysphoric' meant.
"Your father wanted a daughter?" Li shrugged.
"Hey," Ranma slammed her fist into the wall repeatedly. "Let me out! Can't you see I'm not the guy you're looking for?!"
Lupin shrugged. "Be that way. I'm waiting to see what our reward is for being Earth's representitive. At the very least, I want to get my hands on some of this alien technology. Could be very valuable after we pass the test."
Li got out a small board and muttered an incantation. A beam of light shot straight down. "Hmmm. According to this..."
(Snatch!)
"How do I work this thing?" Ranma asked as he tried fiddling with it.
"Your first test is about to begin," said an odd voice as a section of floor opened up. "The first test is a maze. Choose one to take the test or all three can participate as a team."
(Posted Thu, 16 Jan 2003 13:00)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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