It was clear that the Triple Threats didn't like her. She had gotten them into police trouble on more than one occasion and she hadn't even been in Republic City for a whole week. But, she supposed, anyone who didn't know the reasoning behind what was going on, the sight of a girl who had just moved to Republic City being surrounded by the Triple Threat Triads would have been an unnerving one. If it wasn't that time in the night where everything but nocturnal animals is asleep, she was sure someone would have called the police.

As it was, their timing was impeccable, their planning marking everything that would happen to a 'T'. Yet, the only way to truly understand what was going down; one would have to know the events that took place in the past few days.

X

The sounds were overwhelming her: the melding of people talking, people screaming at each other, people rushing and/or shoving by, Sato-mobiles driving by; every other sound that made up the natural soundtrack of Republic City. She wasn't used to so much activity and for the first time since she'd left the island, she was wondering if it was the best idea to do as she had.

She cursed herself at the thought. If she started thinking like that it would only be letting her father's ideals win. She wasn't about to let that happen. So, she stood there. In the middle of the street, one bag filled to the brim with her belongings slung over her back, and only a thousand yuans to her name, she took a deep breath and headed towards an area that she could sense more so, than see was less crowded.

Walking into the alley way, she sat down on a rock and rubbed her temples. How was she supposed to find where she needed to meet the lady if she could only get through the crowds of people in short spurts? She pulled the crumpled letter from her back pocket and read over it again. She sighed irritably and reached for her ponytail.

"What are you doing in these parts of town, girly?" the voice of a kid that had grown up on the streets all his life but had only just started to hit puberty filtered through her ears. "It ain't smart."

"I'm trying to get out of the crowds." She told him. She yanked her ponytail so that her head was pulled back to stare at the sky.

"You're new to Republic City, aren't ya?" he asked, but she was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," she replied, pulling at her ponytail again, a nervous habit she had developed when she was thirteen. "You wouldn't happen to know where the corner of Clutch and Able would be, would you?"

"Why?" the kid asked, and she could hear the disgusted curiosity in his voice.

She rolled her eyes. She was aware of the sketchy atmosphere of the area. The lady she had been corresponding with about the job had told her the area's reputation. She had dealt with areas like that before on Orta, they were less densely populated than this place was sure to be, but the same concept applied and she was prepared. "I'm supposed to be meeting a lady there to discuss the final detail of a job."

There was a long pause of silence, and she looked over at the boy she was talking to. He was fairly tall, so she assumed that he was about thirteen or a really young fourteen. He wore clothes browned by the grime of living on the streets and a ratty newsboy cap sat perched on his head. His dirt and ink smeared face was pulled into a disgusted, judgmental look and she quickly realized why.

"Not like that!" She hit the kid over the head.

"Hey!" the kid yelped rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"You know exactly what it was for, noodlebrain," She snapped at him with a slight sneer. She was standing now, her arms crossed across her chest and her hip stuck out slightly.

"Alright, alright," he sighed, still rubbing his head trying to soothe the spot where he had been stricken, "I'm sorry I thought you'se was a homosexual." She raised an eyebrow expectantly, "And a tramp." He grumbled.

"Apology accepted," she remarked standing and brushing off her pants. "What's your name, kid?"

"Well it ain't kid," he grumbled, "And it ain't noodlebrain neither."

"Well it isn't kid," she corrected with and eyebrow raised, "And it isn't noodlebrain, either."

"Skoochy," he grumbled, embarrassed by her correcting his speech.

"Kai," she extended her hand towards him, "Kai Kao." Skoochy shook (rather awkwardly if she could say so) and followed her back out onto the streets.

"What brings you to Republic City, Kao?" Skoochy asked her as they continued down the street.

"Job opportunities," she told him. Skoochy raised an unconvinced eyebrow at her, "And getting away from my father."

"What he do to you?" Skoochy asked.

"It's not something I want to talk about right now." Kai grumbled. Skoochy shrugged in acceptance of her answer. There was something about street kids that was different from those with homes and families. Street kids understood not wanting to talk about your past. As long as it didn't come and drag them down with you they didn't care. That's what Kai liked about street kids, they didn't pry.

They were coming down another dingy street when she heard the cry. Kai stopped walking. Skoochy continued to walk down the street, ignoring the scream. Kai glared after him hoping he'd catch on that she had stopped walking. When he didn't, she walked up and grabbed him by the shoulder. "There's someone in trouble down here." She remarked and started walking in the direction of the cry.

"Are you crazy?" Skoochy whisper screamed. "That's Triple Threat territory."

"Who?" Kai asked.

"The Triple Threat Triad, they're a gang." Skoochy tried to explain as they continued to walk on. "These parts are their territory and they don't like people trespassing after dark."

"It's not trespassing unless they have legal documentation that it's their property." Kai told Skoochy.

"That's not gonna stop them!" Skoochy whisper screamed, irritated by her prattle on small town ideals.

Kai sighed irritably and turned to the young teenager, "You're missing the point, kid." She told him, her green eye meeting his. "Gang or not, there is someone in trouble over here and I'm not going to stand idly by and let it happen."

"The police department hates vigilantes, Kai." Skoochy told her. "If Saikhan finds out about this, he's going to hunt you down." Kai rolled her eyes and broke out into a run as the sound of another cry filled her ears.

The two were soon on the scene. "W- we d- don't h- have any m-muh-money," an older of two siblings stuttered out in a squeak.

"Money isn't the only form of payment, doll." A nasally voice told the little girls. She couldn't see the owner of the voice, nor his two companions, but she could see their shadows casting themselves over the two girls. Kai turned to Skoochy and knelt down to his height.

"Will you do me a favor?" She asked the kid.

"Get you out of here?" he assumed, "Sure." He grabbed Kai's wrist and was about to take off running from the area.

"No," Kai sighed, "I need you to run down to Clutch and Able and meet that lady for me. Tell her I sent you, and she'll tell you what she was going to tell me. I'll meet you where we met earlier tomorrow morning, alright?" she asked him.

"What are you going to do?" he furrowed his brows.

"I'm going to help those girls out." She nodded towards the two scared, shivering girls that were about to be assaulted.

The boy opened his mouth to protest, not wanting his strange new friend to get into trouble that she didn't need on her first night in Republic City. She cut him off though, "I can take care of myself, Skoochy."

He raised an eyebrow in doubt. She held up her pinky, "Promise." He nodded, quickly linked his pinky with her before running off towards Clutch and Able, hoping he rightly put his faith in her.

A/N: I'm normally not a fan of this story line, but I got this idea in my head a while back and it wouldn't leave me alone. So, here's the beginning of the story. Hope you like it.

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Post to ya later,

~Wrote Too Soon