Chapter Three: Case of The Missing Kettle!

On the top side of things, Ranma, didn't have to drag Tatewaki, all the way there. On the down side of things, Ranma, had to race Tatewaki, all the way to restaurant. The battle of the wishing kettle went on and on. Tatewaki and Ranma, went around, fighting and spilling every single tea kettle, they had laid their hands on.

"Stay out of my way!"

"I don't think so!"

"Move out of the way!"

"Thou shalt move first!"

"Quit shoving pal!"

They were at the same table Tatewaki, was at before, when the same waiter, that was also there before, had approached them. Tatewaki, and waiter exchanged looks, before Tatewaki, grabbed the waiter by his work-shirt. "Tell me, where is that kettle thou hast at my table."

The waiter, stepped back scared. "I- I'm not sure."

Ranma, went around, and popped his head to the other side. "You mean to tell me, you don't remember what it looked like at all."

The waiter, lifted his brows confused, still frightened as ever. "A tea- kettle?"

Ranma, held his fist up to the waiter. "I'm talking about, if there were any particular marks, or odd drawings on it; otherwise old, beat up, or ancient lookin'?

The waiter, stood there in thought. "I- I could try finding it you guys."

Tatewaki, pulled the waiter closer. "Good, then thou shall hand to me, once found"

Ranma, shoved his head behind them. "Don't listen to him, and just do it already!"

"Um," The waiter, shrugged back.

Ranma, scowled bitter at Tatewaki. "Well? Let him go!" After that Ranma, looked aside. "Seesh."

Tatewaki, finally decided to drop the waiter before they both followed him. The two fighters, were about to into the kitchen area, until they saw the waiter turn around to them. "I'm sorry, but I'm allowed to let you guys back here."

Tatewaki and Ranma, look like they were about hunt the adolescent waiter, until they saw him point to the sign, that was on the door that said "Employees Only" on it.

Tatewaki and Ranma, just growled aside, before Ranma, responded.

"Just find the stupid kettle, already!"

The waiter finally opened the door wide enough, for the other two, to see just how many tea kettles were in the back. They both dropped their jaw, while they counted along the shelves.

"It looks there's twenty shelves in there."

"I say ten."

'Are you sure?"

"I counted ten."

Just then Ranma, grew very provoked, and let it out in aggravation. "Ugh! Who cares how many there are; it's not like that's gonna stop me any!"

Just then a waitress walked pass the door, when Tatewaki and Ranma, saw a pile of six by the sink, and huge assortment of twenty, in a bag, on the floor, under another shelf that was by the sink.

Tatewaki, blinked. "There must be about sixty kettles in here."

"Sixty!"

Tatewaki, nodded his head to the other side. "Including the ones, we already checked."

"Your point?" Ranma, asked getting nowhere with Tatewaki.

Tatewaki, growled in tone, as a few uncomforting thoughts had hit him. when Ranma, overheard him. Ranma, turned to him. "What's the matter?"

Tatewaki, eyed Ranma, by the corner of his eyes. "There's a good chance, he won't even check all the other ones."

Ranma's eyes shot wide open. "Why that little sneak."

Tatewaki, clenched his hands. "I need to find a way to get in there."

Ranma, brought one of his fist up to Tatewaki. "Hey, you're not the only one." After he shook it off, when a new idea had entered his mind. "I saw we split up."

"How, we aren't allowed in there," Tatewaki, put in plain.

"No, we aren't allowed in there," Ranma, smirked, from the brilliance of his new plan; he handed Tatewaki, a look with a nod. "But employees can."

Tatewaki, eyed Ranma, confused. "So, what is thy point?"

Ranma, sighed irritated, before he pulled and drugged Tatewaki, into the bathroom. "All right, here's the plan... when the next two waiters come in, we'll beat up them, take their clothes; then one of us will take the sink, and the other will check inside the bag and the shelves. "

"Don't ye think that's kind of steep? What if they wake up? Withal, whoever gets the sink, get's to pour the water out of the kettle."

Ranma, grabbed Tatewaki, by his shirt. "You wanna be stuck like this forever! Besides, she probably only comes out of the kettle, the way she came out of yours.

Tatewaki, scratched his head. "What thou mean?"

'That kettle that you had, was it filled with cold water or hot?"

"Hot."

"Well, then we'll most likely have to heat some water up, before we pour anything. I mean it only makes sense, otherwise she'll be popping out every five seconds." Ranma, handed Tatewaki, a look. "Wouldn't she?"

Tatewaki, looked aside, up towards the ceiling. He hate to admit, but Ranma, was right. Tatewaki, was about to answer him back, when the bathroom door came to a open. Not only did it open, but it opened, in favor, to both Tatewaki, and Ranma.

Two waiters walked in and washed their hands, while discussing this and that, about switching shifts. Tatewaki, and Ranma, eyed each other before they both picked out which victim they wanted. Once their decision was finally made, they both went to beat the living crap out of the two waiters.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"What the-"

"Oof-"

Tatewaki, and Ranma, took their main uniform, before they covered themselves with it. By this time bodies were hidden, and name tags where placed.

"Come on let's go-" Ranma, eyed Tatewaki's name tag. "Yoshiharu." Ranma, started to walk out, as Tatewaki, questioned himself.

'Yoshi-" Tatewaki, looked down at this name tag. "-haru." After that he ran up to Ranma."Not so fast!" Then, he eyed Ranma's name tag. Katsu."

Ranma, shrugged aside. "Hey, we miles well be a significant reason for our victory."

"If we're going to do this, let's do this right," Tatewaki, added in statement.

"Yeah, so don't try doing anything stupid, we don't need anyone getting suspicious," Ranma, paused for a minute, before he held Tatewaki, back. "We'll just walk on out of here, like ordinary waiters, and do as planned.

They were about to head on out, when Ranma, held him back once more.

"What is it now Saotome?"

"It's Katsu, and if they ask you for anything, just keep silent. If they start talking to you, just nod along or something."

"Understood, now can we finally get out of here?" Tatewaki, handed Ranma, another look. "Katsu?"

Ranma, nodded, as they both left the bathroom, and causally walked into the kitchen, as planned.

Ranma, started washing the tea- kettles, as Tatewaki, started digging through the bag of the other twenty.

Tatewaki, during this time took a close watch on Ranma, when one of the workers walked in.

The waitress walked in. "Katsu, table two-" with a confused look on her face. "-needs you.

Katsu, turned to the waitress as he nodded in reply.

She eyed him oddly. "Why are you washing dishes? You're supposed to be waitressing."

Ranma, kept his voice low, as he try to disguise it the best he can. "Covering."

"For Kenji?" She asked, concerned.

Ranma, nodded.

"Uh, okay.." She turned around in thought, before she spoke to herself. "I thought that he said, he was working today," she shrugged aside. "Oh well." After that she just realized Tatewaki, digging through the new tea kettles. "And Yoshiharu, what are you going through the new tea kettles? We weren't suppose to open them until Friday."

This time Tatewaki, covered his voice up the best he could. "Was told to."

"By who?"

"The manager," Tatewaki, guessed aside.

She let out a deep sigh. 'Uh, okay then. I'm just gonna go. But I still need one of you, to check up on table two." She eyed the tea-kettles that Ranma, was washing."Maybe they'll have another tea-kettle you can wash."

After that she finally left, before she spoke to herself, once more in thought. "What is it with those two today, I wonder?"

Ranma, and Tatewaki, exchanged looks, reading each other's mind.

Ranma, went first "You go."

Tatewaki, went next "No you. You're the one who's in charge of the table."

"She just said, for the one of us, to go out there and take care of it," Ranma, added in truth. "Besides, I'm messy now."

"No way, get yourself, Katsu," Tatewaki, hissed back.

Ranma, growled before he snapped back at Tatewaki. "Just go do it already."

Tatewaki, counter back in distrust. "And leave ye in here, I think not."

"You just don't want to cover table two, cause you don't want me alone by the sink," Ranma, utter back mad.

"I'll gladly take over, once you take over table two!"

Ranma, looked up in disbelief. "I thought we've been through this already. "I told you already moron, that it most likely won't work, innless heat up some water, in that kettle first."

Tatewaki, narrowed in angrily. "Knowing ye to take off, as soon as they find the kettle."

Ranma, sighed before he looked up at ceiling, back at Tatewaki. "Do you see any genie's popping up around here?"

Tatewaki, growled deep, thinking of any regrets.

"Look if I leave now, it'll blow our cover; so I'll most likely be here when you get back," Ranma, tried to grab Tatewaki, attention, and what he wanted, he got.

Tatewaki, lifted up his brow within reason. "That is true."

Ranma, then snapped back impatiently. "Then if you don't want to blow our cover, you'll go out there and do it already!"

"Fine," Tatewaki, dropped what he was doing, and finally head out to table number two.

Ranma, kept on washing tea- kettles, when he heard the door open. Ranma, turned around to see Tatewaki, standing there, holding a tea-kettle, in the both of his palms. Tatewaki, swallowed, before he spoke. "I think I found it."

Ranma, looked at the tea kettle back to Tatewaki. "How are you so sure that's the one?"

Suddenly, Ranma, saw the genie, from behind Tatewaki.

Ranma, snapped, erked off. "You poured it without me?"

Tatewaki, looked at the tea- kettle, back at Ranma. "It kinda- tipped over."

The genie, rolled her eyes in incenses. "Oh come on it was accident. Just forgive him already. I mean he's already wished to give you his last three wishes."

Ranma, stood there slowly figuring it out. "He's only giving me the last three wishes, because he wants to keep the kettle for himself." Ranma, tossed a narrowed look at Tatewaki. "Look man, you can't keep the kettle; you have no right too."

Tatewaki, stood there with a good frown across his face. (Busted.) "I Tatewaki Kuno, am the one who found it in the first place; I should'st have every right to keep it."

"Can't you see how dangerous that kettle is," Ranma, referring to his and Tatewaki's change.

"Likewise Saotome, if you want the kettle, thou shall fight me for it!"

Ranma, took a step forward right in front of Tatewaki. "Oh yeah! You're on then Yoshiharu!"

"Quite looking forward to it, Katsu!"

Ranma, went for it. "Give me that kettle!"

Tatewaki, took off, as he ran nearby the restaurant door, with Ranma, behind him.

"Hold it you two!"

"Get back here!"

Tatewaki, and Ranma, slowly turned around, to see the real Yoshiharu and Katsu. Tatewaki and Ranma, eyes widen, scared in surprise.

Tatewaki, elbowed Ranma, grabbing his attention. "It's them! It's them!"

Ranma, stood there "Let's get out of here Yoshiharu!"

"Yes Katsu."

Tatewaki and Ranma, ran down the street, when the genie stop them ahead.

Yoshiharu and Katsu, ran out after them.

"Why did you stop us!" Tatewaki, snapped first.

"Yeah, can't you see we're being chased!" Ranma, put in agreement.

"You could always wish for them to go away," Nozomi, suggested moreover.

"Fine, I wish they'll stop chasing after us, and forgot who we were in the process," Ranma, stated carefully.

Silence hit for a minute before Nozomi, replied. "Done."

Tatewaki, and Ranma, turned around to see that the two, simply disappeared.

"Good, now that that's done," Tatewaki, eyed the kettle that was in his hands, back at Ranma.

Ranma, read Tatewaki, quite clearly. "Oh no you don't!"

Tatewaki, ran off again, as Ranma, began to chase him down the rest of the street. By the time they got done fighting, they were out of breath, huffing and panting, facing one another.

"I'm gonna get that kettle if it's the last thing I do," Ranma, put in exhausted.

"Not even," Tatewaki, added in disagreement.

"You know I could always ask that genie, for me to defeat you and take it back," Ranma, put in still breathing heavily.

"Fool! Thou only have two wishes left!"

"Not if I get that kettle first!"

"Thou hast no right to keep it either, Saotome," Tatewaki, presumed out of breath.

With the both of them, too exhausted to go on, they just laid there on the ground, digging through their own thoughts.