Genma looked over his shoulder at the boy strolling along behind him, hands clasped behind his back and whistling cheerfully. He gave a suspicious grunt and said, "I'm pleased to see you're taking this so well. I was sure you'd at least complain about it."
Ranma waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. I'm sure any girl you pick for me will make a great fiancee."
Genma stared at his son even harder on hearing this. However, the boy was following obediently and not showing any sign of looking for escape routes, so he just grunted again and continued.
"Hey pop. Why don't you get us a couple of okonomiyaki? My treat."
Genma turned around to see his son holding out some yen notes and pointing across the street. Grabbing the money by instinct, he turned his eyes to follow the boy's finger. There was indeed an okonomiyaki shop right there, and he now noticed the enticing aroma coming from inside even at this early hour. His stomach growled and he didn't bother to ask where the boy had come by this money. He hadn't eaten since yesterday and a stampede in the middle of the street wouldn't stop him right now.
Ranma watched his father go with a grin. He found that he didn't feel much remorse over the man whose pocket he'd picked. After all, his wallet would be full again tomorrow morning. He was also certain his pop wouldn't bother to share any of the food, but that was only to be expected. He could grab a bite for himself later. For now, he took the opportunity of his father's absence to duck into a store on this side of the street.
Pointing at a display on the counter, Ranma said to the clerk, "I'd like one of those disposable cell phones please."
A minute later he stepped outside and dialed 110.
"Police. What's the nature of your emergency?"
"Help!" Ranma shouted. "There's a wild panda bear running around loose on Mejiro, terrorizing people! It's chasing people right and left, swinging its claws at them! Oh crap, it's headed this ..." He hung up.
Looking across the street, he muttered, "Come on, pop. There's only a couple more minutes."
Genma emerged from the restaurant a minute later, licking his fingers. He didn't even make it all the way across the road before the rain arrived, right on schedule. Ranma raised her hands to her mouth and shouted in the panda's direction, "I changed my mind, pop! I'm headed back to China!" Then she took off running.
She didn't bother trying to fight. She just concentrated on staying out of the bear's reach. She also remembered to look panicked and give off a scream now and then. This helped to alert the people ahead of her, who panicked for real and ran for their lives. Ranma saw with satisfaction that several of them were making calls on their cell phones as they ran. Even if the police had dismissed hers as a crank call, they'd be responding now.
Three blocks later, a police car suddenly pulled out of a side street, blocking the way. Ranma leaped over it. The panda bear leaped it as well, but Ranma had dropped to the road, scooted underneath, and started running back the other way. Before she'd returned to their starting point, two more police cars pulled out in front of her, and the policemen who jumped out were holding rifles. They didn't hesitate, but lifted them and fired immediately.
Ranma breathed a sigh of relief on hearing the guns' reports. Tranquilizer rifles, as she'd hoped. When she'd come up with this plan, she'd told herself it wouldn't
really matter if they used bullets. Her pop would be alive again tomorrow. But on the whole she was just as glad it turned out this way.
Ranma kept running, not wanting to answer a lot of questions. She turned down a side road, then doubled back. It was time to head to the Tendo home, and put the rest of today's plan into effect.
