Athrun had lived in Tokyo all his life. There, as he leaned against a building's wall, he watched the activity that went on. Cars zooming along hurrying to get to work, people walking on the streets, school buses taking children to school, everyone busy.
He had left the military only a few months ago, an excellent pilot and sharpshooter; but he didn't want to be a part of it anymore because of the killing. He had been in a war before, and it was not a very happy thing as far as he was concerned. You had to shoot first before you were shot. Now, he had left his gun to retire.
As he continued to watch the activity, something in the corner caught his eye. He looked and saw two men dragging a woman off to an alley. He pushed himself off the wall and followed close behind.
The men came to the alley and he could hear a few things they were saying.
"Alright, we warned you; you had better hand over that money, or else you'll be in big trouble."
"But I can't! I need this for the payment on the house!"
"What's it to you? A house? or your life?"
One of the men took out a knife and held it close to the woman, who paled at the sight.
Athrun came a few feet away from them, making the men look in his direction. "I don't suppose you can tell me what this is all about, can you?"
"Look mister, you stay out of this. It's just between us and this lady."
Athrun looked from the two mean looking men, to the frightened lady, to the knife in the one guy's hand. "Always picking on the weaker huh..." With that he ran and jumped into the air, driving his foot into the one guy's face. He landed feet first on the ground, ducking a pole the other man swung at him. The first guy recovered and ran at him with the knife; Athrun grabbed his arm and threw him down onto the ground. The other guy grabbed him around his neck and started choking him. He tried to wrench the guy's arm off and managed to make him let go by elbowing him hard in the stomach.
The first guy grabbed the lady who was trying to run away and put the knife to her neck. "Don't you move, or we'll cut the lady's throat."
Athrun stopped and debated for a few seconds what to do. Then he grabbed a piece of glass lying on the ground and threw it into the man's hand, making him drop the knife. The lady hit him in the stomach and ran out of the alley and back towards the main streets.
There was a short scramble for the knife, in which Athrun grabbed it. As he was standing up, he felt a pole slam into his side and he fell back against the wall. He was sure the man had crushed one of his ribs. (Damn it, these men won't go down), he cursed mentally. He looked up at the men as one of them picked up the knife.
"well, looks like you managed to rescue the lady. But I can't say you will get away that easily."
Athrun put his arm up, as the man was about to throw the knife into him, but he never did. Instead someone kicked him from behind; HARD. The guy practically went through the wall. The other was surprised as heck and was about to run when a kick sent him into the wall.
"You know, you should be careful of who you run into." Athrun looked away from the defeated guys and focused on the tall blonde standing there.
"I was...just trying to help a lady."
The blonde looked down the alley. "That must've been the same lady that nearly ran me over." The blonde extended a hand which Athrun grabbed, standing up.
"Thanks." Athrun walked down the alley a few feet, holding his side, before turning around. "My name's Athrun."
"Sanji. I think you better get that looked at."
"Yeah."