Chapter One ~ How It All Started

Bzzzzzzzt.

He was bored. Which was why he was staring at a blank screen and looking into space. Same thing everyday, every hour. File papers, search for corruptions, piloting the ship, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's been peaceful, yes. But too peaceful. Ever since the incident on 197 Christmas Eve, there's been nothing. No action whatsoever. And that made Chang Wufei bored as hell.

Why did I join the Preventers in the first place? he asked himself.

Because you thought there was going to be some action said his inner voice.

Shut up! Who asked you?

"Wufei," a familiar feminine voice said behind him.

His mind was startled, but not his body. Wufei had trained himself to not supress under the act of surprise.

So, he answered in his usual monotonous tone, "Yeah, Sally?"

"You have the day off tomorrow, don't you?" Sally asked.

What kind of question is...

"Yes, and?"

She smiled. "I was wondering if you can accompany me on a hometown visit."

Wufei swiveled his chair around to face her. "Hometown visit? You mean down on Earth?"

"Why, of course. I haven't been back in years, so I was wondering of you wanted to tag along. You've been looking bored, recently, so how about some fresh air back on Earth?"

He thought about it for a moment. He hadn't planned anything, and Sally was right: he was bored. So bored that he was afraid that he'd go insane and blow up the ship just for kicks.

"Sure, why not," Wufei finally said. "What time?"

"How about meeting me here at 0400 hours?"

"Alright, I guess."

Sally's hometown was a small village located in the northeastern part of China. There were a lot of people bustling about: selling items, entertaining oncoming pedestrians, and so forth.

"Where exactly are we going?" Wufei asked as they walked down the streets.

"Oh, to a restaurant where I used to live at," Sally answered.

"A restaurant?"

They entered in a restaurant called Twin Dragons. There were a lot of customers around, so the place was very noisy. There were two women and a young girl running the place. The young girl looked only about six or so, with big brown eyes and dark hair that was tied in a small braid. The younger of the two women was around Wufei's age, possibly odler, and was handling the orders. She was a very flirtateous young woman, with soft green eyes and long, long lashes. She was very beautiful and her black hair was tied up in such a way that it made her even more beautiful. The older woman was the cashier, around Sally's age. She also had black hair tied in a low ponytail, but with the same eyes as the little girl's. Her eyes were quick, however, and waved at Sally after treating a customer. Sally waved back and came over to her.

"Now that's a face that I haven't seen in a while," the woman said. "How's it going, Sal?" She looked at Wufei. "And who's the young man you have with you?"

"Oh, this is Wufei. He's my partner," Sally answered. "And I'm doing just fine. By the looks of this place, you've been busy, haven't you, Win?"

Win smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Wufei."

"Pleasure," he mumbled back. That's just great...

"By the way, that girl out there entertaining the customers I haven't seen before," Sally remarked. "Where's Mai-Ling?"

"Um...Mai-Ling's back in the kitchen on her break," Win answered cautiously. "She's been doing stuff in the back, so Xiao's taking her place."

"Xiao?" Sally repeated the flirtateous young woman's name. "But Mai used to love talking to the customers."

Wufei arched an eyebrow as he noticed a pair of brown eyes looking at them in the back and then walking away.

"USED to is the phrase," Win answered. "Mai's changed a lot these past few years."

"Is that so?"

Just then, a bunch of ruffians entered in the retaurant. They were the filthiest of all kind. Many were very scrawny looking; as if they hadn't eaten in days. But there was one particular one who got everybody's attention. Unlike the others, he was well built and gruff looking. And he was probably hte largest out of the entire group. The little girl walked over to Xiao, clutching her tray. Xiao bent down and whispered into the little girl's ear and she ran back to back, passing by Wufei, Sally, and Win as she did so.

I don't like the looks of this. Wufei thought.

A young woman around Wufei's age sat on the table, chair a bit tipped ove the wall and silently finishing her lunch. She was wearing a dark blue male Chinese outfit. The shirt was unbuttoned halfway and revealed a white tanktop. Her dark was tied in a loose braid that fell close to the ground. Her brown eyes were lost deep in thought until the little girl came running in.

"Oneechan! Oneechan!" the little girl shouted.

"What is it, Suzuka?" the young woman asked.

"It's those meanies again," Suzuka answered. "And they brought this R-E-A-L-L-Y big man with them!" She extended her arms as long as she could stretch to describe the size of the man.

The woman tipped her chair away from the wall and stood.

"What do those ahou gas want again this time?" she mumbled to herself.

"Oneechan, do you want to tell Win-neesan about it?" Suzuka asked.

The woman looked at her. "Uh-huh."

Suzuka smiled. "'Kay!" She ran back out.

The woman sighed and then walked out of the room.

"It's not them again," Win muttered.

"Who're they?" Sally asked, looking at the group of ruffians as they made their way through the register.

"A gang called the Scavengers," Win asnwered in a low voice. "They came here last week and made a big ruckus before Mai-chan kicked them out."

"Say what?!?"

"Oi, onna," one of the ruffians came and called to Win. "You know who we want, where is she?"

Before Win could answer, a voice said, "Right here."

The same young woman stepped out from the back. Wufei eyed her for a moment.

She's the same one who was eavesdropping on our conversation. Kuso... He looked at her outfit. It was a men's outfit alright, but was cut to fit her. The pants were a bit loose, but only went down to her ankles. She's cute...chotto, what am I saying?!? She's a woman! Shikashi...

"Mai-chan...." Win was about to say.

"What do you idiots want now?" Mai-Ling asked in a cold voice, cutting her sister off.

"We want a rematch," one of the ruffians answered.

"A rematch? It was your fault, first of all, who started the fight."

"But nobody from the Scavengers are to be messed with! Especially by a woman," the big ruffian remarked.

Mai-Ling arched a delicate eyebrow and folded her arms. "Is that so? Well, I guess I'm the first."

Her attitude doesn't match her looks, Wufei thought.

The big ruffian pointed at her. "I challenge you, Mai-Ling! In order to retain the Scavengers' reputation, I will defeat you!"

Mai-Ling smirked. "You shouldn't say things you don't act on."

The ruffian was about to protest, but Mai-Ling cut him off. "I accept, but you have to beat me under my rules and ways. You're in my territory, after all."

He paused for a second to think about it. "Alright, I agree."

"Alright. Oneesan, get me a customer's tofu cake for me."

"N-nani?!?" Win yelled. "No, I'm not getting you one! Not what happened LAST time."

"I didn't drop it, oneesan."

"You ALMOST did!"

"Maa, Win-san," Xiao interrupted. "Mai-chan can win this, don't worry."

A tofu cake? What kind of game is that? Wufei thought, wondering what was going to happen next.

Xiao set the cake on the table. The audience looked on and were already making bets on one another to whom would win such a challenge. Mai-Ling and the giant ruffian stood on opposite sides.

"The rules are pretty simple to follow," Mai-Ling explained, hands behind her back. "If you smash the cake, you win."

"Hah! That's easy!" the ruffian said, and was about to punch into the cake while Win covered her eyes.

He never made it. Mai-Ling stopped him within inches. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make it any farther.

That was easier said than done...Wufei observed.

Mai-Ling retalitated with multiple hits to the chest. The large man staggered backward, then tried to make an aim again. The quick work of Mai's hands made him stumble backward again. He tried to shift the tabe with his feet so that the plate would fall and crash, but Mai-Ling was faster to react. She flipped the table over, and the cake went flying in the air. Win cringed in terror, imagining what was going to happen to her customer's cake. The cake landed perfectly on Mai-Ling's outstretched hand, and then she set the cake back down on the table again. The man, worn, tired, and aching all over, tried for another attempt only to get hit back. Bruises began to form around his body, and it was obvious that the hits he had sustained were taking its toll. Mai-Ling smiled sweetly at him.

"Do you want to try again?" she asked.

Taking in a few deep breaths, the battered ruffian ran again for another attempt. Again, he was thrown back. He tried again and again until finally he collapsed in a large heap. The others tried to lift him up for him to fight again, but he wouldn't rise. They all carried him upon their shoulders and drudged out.

"You're going to pay for this, onna!" one of them shouted at Mai-Ling before leaving.

The audience clapped wildly at the fight, saying some encouraging words and going their separate ways. It was as if the fight had never happened.

"Mou, Mai-chan!" Win exclaimed at her younger sister, hands on her hips. "You're never going to get a husband if you keep on fighting like that!"

"Oneesan, do I look like I care?" Mai-Ling retorted. "Besides, it's not my fault that bakas like them come in and screw around."

"Demo-----"

"Can't you see we have company?" Mai-Ling interrupted. She turned to Sally and Wufei. "Istashiburi, Sally-san."

"Maa, istashiburi!" Sally replied. "You've changed, Mai-chan! How long have you been practicing martial arts?"

"Oh, I think about four or five years now," Mai-Ling answered.

As the women continued their conversations, Wufei eyed Mai-Ling. She acted normally, but there was something in her eyes that bothered him. Something that said that a tragedy had happened to her that made Mai-Ling change than what she was before. And she would never be the same...

AUTHORESS NOTES:

Uh...as you can see, Wufei is SORTA acting like himself. This side story leads to why and how him and Mai-Ling got together in the first place. If you read The True Victor, she's in it. So, this is a side story that explains how Wufei and Mai-Ling first met, became friends, and fell in love. Mai-Ling's personality...well, she's not like Merian who totally hated men. Mai-Ling just doesn't trust men due to an incident that will be explained later. I'm trying to make this one as short as possible because it's...well, I don't wanna make this TOO long, if ya know what I mean. Anyhoo, that's all for now! R&R!