Honor and Justice

Chapter One

By Aryn

Wufei wandered the streets of the colony in the L-5 colony cluster that was just a few colonies from his own, or more accurately, where his was. Shoving his hands further into his leather jacket pockets, Wufei pushed the bittersweet memories of that time out of his mind. As he rounded a corner, he noticed a large group of police cars gathered around a dilapidated warehouse. Taking further interest into the situation, he kept to the shadows and got close enough to hear what was going on.

The captain of the force nervously wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He was roughly middle aged, but still fit enough to run the mean streets of this section of the town. Wufei watched as most of the force, which consisted of about eight men, hid behind their cars, flashing lights bringing all kinds of attention to them. Whatever they were doing, it wasn’t supposed to be a surprise.

"What are we going to do sir?" a young lieutenant said nervously to his captain.

"We wait for now." the captain replied.

A large, black sedan pulled up to the scene almost noiselessly. Wufei recognized who it was before the four occupants got out.

"Oh no, not them." The captain complained lowly. Wufei couldn't blame him; he felt the same way about OZ.

The four uniformed officers approached the annoyed Captain.

"What's going on?" the lead soldier asked.

"I don't know why they thought they needed to send you guys. I've got three units up there all ready," the Captain said.

"Three units?" the Oz soldier replied sarcastically. "What a waste of men."

"I think three units should be able to deal with one little girl."

"This little girl has evaded Oz for the last year. Three units of local police officers isn't going to even phase her," the soldier replied, walking towards the entrance of the warehouse, leading the other three officers.

Wufei sunk back into the shadows and used the alleyways to get him to the back of the warehouse where he quickly scaled the fire escape and made it to the roof in minutes. Peering down through the skylight he could see her. A small framed Oriental woman, dressed in jeans, black boots, a white T-shirt and black three-quarter length leather jacket. She had been setting bombs around the storehouse, but at present the three units of guards had her busy. She dropped bombs here and there as she darted for cover behind various boxes and metal girders. But with every shot, an officer fell. But time was still running out and with four Oz agents on their way, she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Wufei dropped silently into the warehouse and used the crates as steps. He took cover behind a metal column and drew out his gun. One officer fell and the girl automatically looked over at him.

"Who are you?" she shouted to him, taking out another officer.

"A friend." he answered.

"That's highly unlikely." she shot back, drawing a second gun from behind her back. She stepped out from her cover of boxes and rapidly fired off the two guns, nailing the rest of the units. Without missing a beat she aimed both guns at Wufei's metal barrier.

"Drop your gun." she ordered.

"I told you I'm a friend."

"I've been told that before. You know what happened to that guy?" she answered.

Wufei raised his hand over his head, but didn't drop his gun as he came halfway out of his cover.

"Look, there's four Oz agents on their way up here. I suggest you finish what you were doing and get out of here." Wufei told her.

"How do you know-" her question was cut off by gun fire and bullets whizzed past her and thudded into the metal barriers. Wufei noticed that the Oz soldiers had spotted them both and were at a dead run towards them. Wufei fired off four bullets hitting two of the soldiers in the chest. They never even faltered.

"What?!" Wufei shouted, hitting them with more bullets, but each one had no effect whatsoever.

"Gundanium." the girl shouted.

Wufei cursed inside. He had to get a shot directly through the eye to kill these guys. He was a good shot, but even at this distance, it would take a professional sharpshooter to pull that off. Just as he attempted an eye shot to the closest one that was about seventy-five feet away from him, he saw one soldier fall to the floor. A second later, a second one fell. He glanced around his barrier to see the girl taking careful aim at the third soldier. Blam. The third one fell. Wufei turned back around, his target was about twenty feet away now. Wufei took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. The fourth one fell with a thud. He turned to the girl to find her finishing dropping the bombs through out the warehouse. When she was done, she walked over to him and extended her hand.

"Thank you. I could've handled it myself but help is always appreciated." she told him gratefully.

"Just passing through." he responded, shaking her hand. Wufei never considered himself to be a big person, in stature or weight, but he sure felt it when his hand completely wrapped around the girl's frail one. "Do your parents know where you are?"

The girl removed her hand from his grasp and gave him an annoyed smile.

"Well, here's some friendly advice," she said, climbing up the crates towards the skylight, "I wouldn't stick around here too long."

Wufei holstered his gun and followed the girl out onto the roof.

"So how old are-" Wufei looked around the rooftop and found he was talking to the wind. The girl had completely disappeared.

_________________________

Mei walked down the street in the colony's version of Chinatown, watching the bouncing figure of a three year old girl in front of her. The child skipped and hummed along the sidewalk, careful not the step on the cracks in the concrete. Her shoulder length ebony hair bounced when the child did. Mei absently brushed a few stray locks of her own short black locks off her forehead, as she was deep in thought. What she was doing would provide a better world for the child in front her, as well as the other children in this world. Or at least that's how she justified her nightly bombings. Mei drew her attention back to the child just in time to see her bump into a pair of jean-clad legs. Mei lengthened her stride and picked up the child before the stranger could react.

"I'm sorry." Mei stood up to face the stranger and found herself at a loss for words. It was the man that had helped her out last night.

"It's not a problem." Wufei replied.

"So we meet again." Mei smiled.

"Who's this?" Wufei motioned to the child that hung around Mei's neck, eyeing him warily.

"This is Hana, my daughter."

Mei noticed Wufei's eyes widen slightly at her announcement. She couldn't hide the small amused smile that had crept across her face.

"Nice to meet you Hana. I'm Chang Wufei." he said with a bow.

Mei's smile vanished completely. Chang. She knew that name. He had been in the Dragon clan and had married...Merian. So this was Merian's husband.

"Are you alright?"

His question snapped her back to the present. "Yes. I'm fine."

He raised his eyebrows in expectance.

"Oh. Wu Mei." she stammered, returning the bow. She watched him carefully and was not surprised when seemed to recognized her name as well. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him now. He was a living link to her past. Just when she thought she was the last of the dragon clan. But she didn't want to trust him just yet. Not until she had some proof that he was trust worthy.

"Come eat with us." Hana spoke up unexpectedly.

Mei looked down at her daughter with shock. The little girl had a bright grin on her face as she looked up at Wufei. Mei turned her gaze reluctantly to Wufei's, and found him staring back at her with equal dissatisfaction. Suddenly, Mei smiled. Her daughter trusted this man, why shouldn't she?

"Why don't you come with us? Unless of course you've already eaten."

She saw different thoughts pass behind onyx eyes as Wufei tried to come up with an answer. After a few seconds meditation, Wufei blinked and nodded his head.

"Sure."

______________________

Wufei always was one to observe his surroundings and those who surrounded him. But he didn't particular care to be the one that was being observed. Mei looked up every now and again from her food, and studied him. It was beginning to annoy him, but then he put himself in her place. He would be doing the same. To avoid Mei's studious glare, Wufei looked over at the grinning three year-old.

"How old are you?" Hana asked.

"Hana." Mei said sternly. "That's not a polite question."

Hana looked from her mother back to Wufei. "I'm sorry."

Wufei faked a cough to hide a smile. "It’s okay."

"Mommy’s twenty."

Wufei’s fake cough turned into a real one when Hana made that announcement.

He grabbed for a glass of water and swallowed, finally getting control of himself. When he looked up, Mei was giving Hana a very disappointed look but the girl was giggling at Wufei.

"Well," Wufei set his water glass down, "Only to be fair, I am twenty also."

"I’m three." Hana held up three fingers to show him.

Wufei cocked an eyebrow at her. "I never would have guessed."

"How old did you think I was?"

"Thirty."

Hana was thrown into a fit of giggles. Figuring the girl was occupied for a moment, Wufei turned to Mei.

"You said you’re last name was Wu. Are you anyway related to the Dragon Clan?"

Mei nodded her head. "Yes, I am. My husband as well as I were from that clan."

"How did you survive the explosion a few years back?" The memory still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"We were on Earth at the time."

Wufei nodded his head in understanding, not wanting to push the issue farther.

"So what’s your reason?"

"For what?"

"For surviving. Your last name is Chang and you know of the Dragon clan. Why were you off the colony?"

"I was on," Wufei paused and searched for the proper cover for being a Gundam pilot.

"A mission?"

He looked up at Mei with unhid surprise. How did she know?

"You’re a Gundam pilot, aren’t you?"

Wufei quickly scanned the restaurant, before looking back at Mei. How in the world did the conversation get this out of control?

"What do you know about the Gundam pilots?"

Mei shrugged her thin shoulders. "The Gundams have a reputation with the colonies."

"How did you know I was a pilot?"

"How else would you know who OZ was?"

"Anyone can know who OZ is. They were a public organization."

"True. However, when you shot at the OZ agent, and nothing happened, all I said was gundanium and you knew exactly what I was talking about. Only a Gundam pilot would know that."

Wufei sat back in his chair and stared at Mei. "You’re a very observant woman."

Mei looked down at Hana. "I have to be."