When he arrived at the Preventer headquarters, the first thing Wufei
noticed was the note posted on the door to his office.
Wufei, Come to my office at 9:00 AM. You will receive your next assignment.
- Une.
He looked at the wall clock over the doorway. It was nearly 8:30.
No harm in being early, he mused, walking towards the door to the Head
Preventer's office and, opening it, walked into the room.
"Why did you need to see me?" he asked archly.
Une looked up from her computer screen."Wufei, sit down."
He remained standing; Une chose to ignore this and continued: "As you know,
your partner Sally Po has been considering returning to the medical field.
I talked to her yesterday morning, and her decision has been made: She's
going back to the hospital on L5, to work there full time. She'll be back
in Preventer headquarters from time to time, maybe about 4 days out of the
month."
Wufei nodded curtly. This was no great loss; he'd never cared for his
partner much anyway. "And."
He was interrupted by the squealing of tires heard in the parking lot.
Une narrowed her eyes and looked toward the window. Through the glass, a
silver Beetle was seen spinning rapidly around the curve in the pavement,
then slowed down looking for parking spaces.
Une peered out at the parking lot below her. "Wufei, is that your car?" She
pointed.
He looked to where she indicated. "Yes."
"Did you take up two spaces AGAIN? Only one of them is assigned to you."
"If I didn't, some incompetent would try and.WHAT ARE THEY DOING?? MY CAR!"
The VW had spotted the (half) empty parking spot and decided to park there,
forcefully pushing Wufei's car back into the designated space.
Une chuckled. "I hope you have good insurance. Looks like you were the
recipient of a fender bender."
"INJUSTICE!! It was more like TOTALING THE CAR!! When I find out just who
that WAS I'll." Wufei attempted to calm himself. "Nataku, lend me your
strength.Lend me your strength."
"Moving on." Une muttered, walking away from the window.
**
Sydney Adams shut the door to her silver Beetle and pulled on her leather
jacket.
Some guys just never learn: she'd had to physically push that person's car
out of the way just to park. People who were this inconsiderate really
annoyed her. Grabbing the paper Starbucks cup that held her life brew
(black coffee) she stepped though the doors into Preventer headquarters.
And from the moment she walked in, Sydney felt a sense of belonging. The
offices around her were alive with bustle, like a shopping mall at
Christmastime. People were answering phones, hurrying through the main
doors or down the hallways to their next meeting. The elevator doors opened
and shut every so often, the keys on a keyboard clicked away like they were
on speed. Various machines buzzed with activity, busily obeying commands
from the people behind the computer monitors.
She looked over to the desk, where three people were standing around
talking. Figuring one of them would have to answer, she sauntered up. "Hey,
just where is Lady Une's office??"
One of them glanced her way to see who was speaking. He had a boyish-
looking face, with violet eyes that twinkled with good-natured humor and a
braid that hung halfway down his back. Wearing a worn Preventers' uniform
and drinking a cup of coffee, he looked to be the type that was amiable and
easygoing. "I know where it is. I'll take you up there. You new?"
"Ever seen me here before?? If I already worked here, I'd be wearing a
uniform, wouldn't I? And I'd probably know the way to Une's office, and--"
He grinned. "--Somebody with attitude. I'll take that as a yes. Name's Duo
Maxwell. The blond guy in the vest is Quatre Winner, and the tall guy with
bangs is Trowa Barton. C'mon, I'll take you up to her office."
Sydney extended a hand. "Sydney Adams."
"Pleased to meet'cha," he replied, guiding her towards the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, he leaned against the metal
railing. "So, do you know who your partner is yet?"
Sydney pulled out a scrap of paper from her pocket. "Haven't seen the guy,
but I have a name to give you. It's Chang Wufei."
Duo burst out laughing. "Is today Christmas?? My day has just improved!"
She arched an eyebrow. "Want to tell me what's so funny?"
"Oh man..partnered with Wufei." He wiped tears of mirth from his eyes.
"Good luck with that.he is a REAL piece of work."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. He hates weaklings, women, and all major holidays. He works a lot
and rants about justice when he's not threatening you with that katana of
his. Believe me; I've had my share of that. The only people he really talks
to are Heero and Jen, and she lives in CHINA.er, you haven't met Heero yet,
have you?"
Sydney shook her head.
"Well, you'll know him when you see him, 'cause he's antisocial, thinks
he's Evil Kneival and shoots death rays out of his eyes. I call it: The
Patented Yuy Death Glare."
The doors opened and the two stepped out onto the third floor.
"Une's office is the second door on your left. Have fun."
She gave a quiet chortle. "Oh, I will."
**
There was a soft knock on the door to the office.
"Come in," called Lady Une.
A young woman stepped through the door, dressed in a leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and a navy tank top. "WHAT?" Wufei cried incredulously. "A WOMAN?!"
Lady Une nodded stiffly.
"Yes." The corner of her mouth tugged upward in a small smirk. "Is that a problem?"
Une smiled at the girl. "Ah, Sydney. I was worried you hadn't got my note."
The girl shook her head, "No Ma'am. I got it. But I had a bit of trouble in the parking lot. Some miserable bastard tried to take up 2 spaces so I had to squeeze in to the right of their car. People like that REALLY piss me off." She paused, noting the look of horror on Wufei's face. "That was YOU?? Insolent onna! What the hell did you do to my CAR??"
"Oh, that was you?" Sydney grinned. She directed her next question to Une. "Is that my partner?" Her voice was a mix between amusement and alarm.
Une nodded, trying to keep a straight face. "Indeed he is. Would you please sit?"
Wufei started off a round of protests, which The Head Preventer sat patiently through. She'd been over this with Wufei several times before, (especially when he was partnered with Sally) and the fact that he was going to work/be partnered with women occasionally was just beginning to sink into his thick skull. While he was ranting and raving, she began handing papers to Sydney, telling the girl what to fill out, to sign, etc., and hope Wufei would get the hint that she was ignoring his objections. "Women are rude, disrespectful, annoying, stubborn, unintelligent--" The Lady gave him a sharp look. "--They're distracting, loud, irritating."
Wufei fell silent only when he realized that she wasn't listening to him, nor about to change his assignment.
Une took the moment of quiet to study her new agent.
Sydney Adams was fresh from the Moon Base, passing training and her first six month trial period with flying colors. She was from the L3 area, but during the war had worked with Noin, who had first recommended her. Of American/British decent she looked to be about 16, quite young for such an esteemed soldier. Her eyes were a fierce, liquid emerald green and seemed to change with every shift of the light. She had a tanned complexion, with a sculpted face and full lips. Hair black as a thousand midnights was done up in a messy ponytail with several soft strands escaping. She was taller than most women, about 5'7- 5'8, with wide shoulders and a small, yet strong-looking frame. "A woman?" Wufei said archly, finally figuring out that his protests were not going to be welcomed. "I, being partnered with an onna?!"
Une sighed. "No use complaining, Wufei. It's already all arranged."
Wufei rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed angrily.
Sydney looked from Wufei to Lady Une. Her voice was rich with sarcasm. "Great. Just peachy." A smirk surfaced at the corner of Une's mouth. "Like I told him; get used to it." "You're sure this is a good idea?" Sydney pressed.
"I've been trying to tell her that for nearly a half-hour! Don't think an onna could change her mind."
The girl seethed. "Why don't you shut the hell up?" "Why don't you take your own advice, onna?"
Une sat back in her chair, starting to regret her decision.
"Look, both of you, while you're on this assignment, keep a low profile. I already have two agents down there, but we don't need to be noticed for the moment." She glared at Wufei, "So don't start ranting or raving while you're on duty."
Wufei simmered, "A Superior man, such as myself, has no need to be told what to do by an onna like you."
Une put on her glasses. "If you value your employment, you will DESSIST with snide comments!"
Wufei did an invisible double-take, and gave a small twitch. She still has those? I could swear Yuy had destroyed them last year. "What is our first assignment?" asked Sydney.
"Check the archives, Onna. Didn't you do your homework?" asked Wufei nastily.
Wide-eyed with frustration, Sydney glared daggers at Wufei. Don't make me kick your @$$, she mouthed. Wufei, (who was good at reading lips) narrowed his eyes and muttered: "Like you could." Une, who saw this interaction, shook her head, and handed Sydney a heavy file of info. "Our assignment since the day this Origination was begun was to insure the safety of both colonial and earth citizens: basically stopping the bad guys who want to hurt people. There have been many prominent terrorist groups, but none half as elusive as The Do Svidanja Foundation. We know that they're a Russian faction who decided that since Russia didn't have a colony no one else should either. And since the war has ended they've been assassinating Colony Leaders and killing at random. They seem to have no pattern, and we have no way of knowing where or when they will strike next. We only assign top agents to this. You should feel flattered."
Sydney frowned and began shuffling through the stack of papers. Une rubbed at her temples, feeling like this was the first in a long line of headaches.
A young woman stepped through the door, dressed in a leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and a navy tank top. "WHAT?" Wufei cried incredulously. "A WOMAN?!"
Lady Une nodded stiffly.
"Yes." The corner of her mouth tugged upward in a small smirk. "Is that a problem?"
Une smiled at the girl. "Ah, Sydney. I was worried you hadn't got my note."
The girl shook her head, "No Ma'am. I got it. But I had a bit of trouble in the parking lot. Some miserable bastard tried to take up 2 spaces so I had to squeeze in to the right of their car. People like that REALLY piss me off." She paused, noting the look of horror on Wufei's face. "That was YOU?? Insolent onna! What the hell did you do to my CAR??"
"Oh, that was you?" Sydney grinned. She directed her next question to Une. "Is that my partner?" Her voice was a mix between amusement and alarm.
Une nodded, trying to keep a straight face. "Indeed he is. Would you please sit?"
Wufei started off a round of protests, which The Head Preventer sat patiently through. She'd been over this with Wufei several times before, (especially when he was partnered with Sally) and the fact that he was going to work/be partnered with women occasionally was just beginning to sink into his thick skull. While he was ranting and raving, she began handing papers to Sydney, telling the girl what to fill out, to sign, etc., and hope Wufei would get the hint that she was ignoring his objections. "Women are rude, disrespectful, annoying, stubborn, unintelligent--" The Lady gave him a sharp look. "--They're distracting, loud, irritating."
Wufei fell silent only when he realized that she wasn't listening to him, nor about to change his assignment.
Une took the moment of quiet to study her new agent.
Sydney Adams was fresh from the Moon Base, passing training and her first six month trial period with flying colors. She was from the L3 area, but during the war had worked with Noin, who had first recommended her. Of American/British decent she looked to be about 16, quite young for such an esteemed soldier. Her eyes were a fierce, liquid emerald green and seemed to change with every shift of the light. She had a tanned complexion, with a sculpted face and full lips. Hair black as a thousand midnights was done up in a messy ponytail with several soft strands escaping. She was taller than most women, about 5'7- 5'8, with wide shoulders and a small, yet strong-looking frame. "A woman?" Wufei said archly, finally figuring out that his protests were not going to be welcomed. "I, being partnered with an onna?!"
Une sighed. "No use complaining, Wufei. It's already all arranged."
Wufei rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed angrily.
Sydney looked from Wufei to Lady Une. Her voice was rich with sarcasm. "Great. Just peachy." A smirk surfaced at the corner of Une's mouth. "Like I told him; get used to it." "You're sure this is a good idea?" Sydney pressed.
"I've been trying to tell her that for nearly a half-hour! Don't think an onna could change her mind."
The girl seethed. "Why don't you shut the hell up?" "Why don't you take your own advice, onna?"
Une sat back in her chair, starting to regret her decision.
"Look, both of you, while you're on this assignment, keep a low profile. I already have two agents down there, but we don't need to be noticed for the moment." She glared at Wufei, "So don't start ranting or raving while you're on duty."
Wufei simmered, "A Superior man, such as myself, has no need to be told what to do by an onna like you."
Une put on her glasses. "If you value your employment, you will DESSIST with snide comments!"
Wufei did an invisible double-take, and gave a small twitch. She still has those? I could swear Yuy had destroyed them last year. "What is our first assignment?" asked Sydney.
"Check the archives, Onna. Didn't you do your homework?" asked Wufei nastily.
Wide-eyed with frustration, Sydney glared daggers at Wufei. Don't make me kick your @$$, she mouthed. Wufei, (who was good at reading lips) narrowed his eyes and muttered: "Like you could." Une, who saw this interaction, shook her head, and handed Sydney a heavy file of info. "Our assignment since the day this Origination was begun was to insure the safety of both colonial and earth citizens: basically stopping the bad guys who want to hurt people. There have been many prominent terrorist groups, but none half as elusive as The Do Svidanja Foundation. We know that they're a Russian faction who decided that since Russia didn't have a colony no one else should either. And since the war has ended they've been assassinating Colony Leaders and killing at random. They seem to have no pattern, and we have no way of knowing where or when they will strike next. We only assign top agents to this. You should feel flattered."
Sydney frowned and began shuffling through the stack of papers. Une rubbed at her temples, feeling like this was the first in a long line of headaches.