[Author's Quickie: Hi there readers. This chapter is still a little slow, but trust me, it's needed. For some reason, hates spacing; it keeps on deleting my "" and "" signs. Hopefully you can decide for yourself where they are needed. Next chapter is a lot more fast-paced and (shall I say) exciting, so see you next week!]

[Universal disclaimer insert here]

The Phoenix Project

Chapter One: The Flight

By the time 2nd period was over, Shang Xiang was nearly weeping in frustration. The senile old teacher had forgotten to give her any books. Her classmates kept giving her odd looks and kept whispering behind her back. Lu Xun, somehow, had not turned back to look or speak to her at all during class, and she didn't know whether to be relieved or angry.

Why?

She shook it off in irritation, wondering why he had such a big impact on her emotions. Every time she saw him, she wanted to choke him. Slap him. Anything. It was odd.

When the bell for 3rd period rang, she threw her things into her bag and brushed past Lu Xun's desk, deciding resolutely to ignore his existence. Well, okay. So she was mean and rude and loud and obnoxious… Shang Xiang sighed as she walked to her next class, jostled about by the shoulders of other students hurrying on their way. She couldn't help it. Her personality sucked.

But she didn't want to be alone.

3rd period meant physical education class, she realized as she squinted at the words on her schedule. The second gymnasium, which would be… It took a minute to get her bearings, and standing in the middle of a hallway intersection wasn't exactly helpful. Hallways branched left and right, up and down; classrooms all looked the same in this wing, so never mind finding the gym… She gnashed her teeth in misery, all the while trying to act like she knew where to go. What torture.

A soft tap on her shoulder made her jerk around in surprise, and when she saw Lu Xun standing curiously behind her she jumped. "Hey there," he said quietly, "Need some help?"

Yes. No. I'm not weak. I need help. Don't think that just because I'm a girl I'm inferior. I don't want to be alone, damn it! "Yes," she blurted out quickly, before her resolve failed her. "I'm looking for the second gym."

"Second gym? Let me see your schedule," Lu Xun said, and reluctantly Shang Xiang handed it over. He glanced at it a few times, then smiled at her. For some reason she felt better when he smiled, as if a weight had been lifted from her heart. Stupid, she thought angrily. "Okay, I see now. The gym you're looking for is on the other side of the Quad, near the swimming pool. I'll take you there, since I'm going there myself." He handed her back the paper, and grinned cheerfully. "Looks like I'll be seeing you in almost every class, Shang Xiang."

She didn't quite know how to respond to that.

"Come on," he said, and she followed him side-by-side as she walked out of the double doors and into the Quad. It didn't take them that long to reach the gyms. Tall, domed-shaped structures that looked as if they were constructed out of metal, the gyms had a professional feel to them--considering that they cost the school $10 million to build. "Here," Lu Xun said, nudging her towards the main entrance, "the coaches' office is in there. She'll give you your gym uniform, and then you can go change in the girl's locker room. I've got to go change myself, so I'll see you in class."

"Right." She swallowed, and headed into the glass doors. The nameplate outside the door said "Xu Rong." After a minute or two of showing her schedule to the coach, Shang Xiang received a grunt from the gym teacher and a package of clothing was shoved into her arms.

"The girls' locker rooms are down the hall to the right," the teacher said irritably, "You have three minutes." Shang Xiang, deciding to weather the storm, bowed and retreated from the office. As she approached the locker room, she felt vague apprehension. There was bound to be snotty girls in a school like this. She only hoped that they would ignore her.

When she entered, she was met by two dozen staring eyes. Crap, she thought, what an entrance I make. Silently she made her way over to an empty spot, waiting with her back turned for the girls to stop staring. After a while, the chatter returned to normal levels, and she started changing. As she reached for her gym shorts, a hand snatched it up from the bench and held it above her sitting position. Shang Xiang whirled around angrily.

"So you're the new girl, huh?" A high-pitched voice said from above, "How sad. You know, here at HuaXia there's a valued tradition--the new girl has to run around the track naked the first class." The room rocked with laughter and asinine giggles as the girl's smirk widened. Shang Xiang stared her down, rising to her own feet to look her in the face.

"Give them back," she gritted out, hands clenching together tightly.

"And what if I don't?" the other girl asked in a sing-song voice, flipping one of her long black ponytails behind her shoulder. She was heavily drenched in makeup, and was almost a full inch shorter than Shang Xiang. "What are you going to do about it, new girl?"

Without answering Shang Xiang drew back her hand for a backslap, stopping just before her hand was about to hit the girl's face. "Give them back," she ordered coldly once more, not all at intimidated by the girl who looked like she was 14 instead of 17.

The girl's face whitened. "Here, take them," she snarled as she flung the shorts onto the floor, tossing her head haughtily. "But don't you forget, girl, even if you don't remember anything else: I'm Da Qiao. I'm the queen around here, and anything I say goes. You won't last long against me." Calmly Shang Xiang picked up the short from the floor, watching out of the corner of her eyes as the girl and the rest of her troop left the room.

"Well, that was interesting," Shang Xiang said sarcastically to the empty room, "What a warm welcome." Shaking her head, she pulled the shorts on, slipped on her sneakers, and went into the gymnasium.

The first thing that she noticed, as her eyes struggled to adjust in the bright light, was that the gym was huge. The second thing she noticed was that her brother was there.

"Ce!" she cried out in some surprise, running over to the group he was standing with, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Shang Xiang," Ce said, a lazy grin on his stubble-ridded face. "Didn't you know gym classes are integrated? A gym class can have all grade levels, even upperclassmen." He winked, saying, "Of course, it is highly uncommon that someone as wonderful as I am should be here, so your surprise is excusable."

A man standing to Ce's right groaned good-naturedly. "Ce, who ever said we wanted you here?"

"Yeah, all you ever do is drag us down," another guy threw in..

"Come on, guys, that hurt," Ce complained, and reached over to clasp Shang Xiang's shoulder. "Don't embarrass me in front of my little sister. I'll never live it down."

"Don't worry, Ce," she answered for him, "Your reputation can't get any worse."

The other men roared with laughter, and Shang Xiang felt herself turning red. Being near girls was bad, but guys were worse. It was something her father had said over and over to her--"Don't trust any men, Shang Xiang. Men lie." She had wondered if that included her own family as well.

"So this is your little sister, Ce?" One of the men leaned in, studying her face. "She's cute," he pronounced with a satisfied smile. "Looks nothing like you."

"Hah ha, so funny," Ce replied sardonically, giving him a faint push. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. Shang Xiang, meet my friends. This is Zhou Yu, my best friend." He pointed to a man with long black hair tied up in a ponytail. He had an air of sophistication, and looked around Ce's age. Probably a womanizer, Shang Xiang thought dryly, but nodded politely nonetheless.

"Lu Meng," Ce continued, pointing to an older-looking man with a short black ponytail, "is an upper-upperclassman. He's graduating HuaXia this year." Lu Meng grunted when she nodded at him too.

"Eh, Lu Meng's always like that. Anyway, here we have Guang Hai, who's also a senior upperclassman. He always looks quiet and serious, don't mind him," Ce said, jerking his thumb at a bald man who nodded silently.

"And this is Gan Ning. He's sober right now." Ce snickered, lightly punching a muscular man with rampant spiked brownish-red hair. "He's only scary when he's drunk."

"Whereas, you're scary all the time, Ce," another voice cut in, faintly amused.

"Ah," Ce sighed, "and last but not least, we have our chess-club champion, debate team captain, volleyball MVP, yours truly, Lu Xun."

Lu Xun grinned widely and flashed Shang Xiang a knowing smile. She had to fight the blush from appearing on her face, and instead turned to look at her brother. "Volleyball, huh?" she observed coolly, raising an eyebrow.

Ce sighed and rubbed his chin with his hand. "Oh boy," he muttered to himself as Gan Ning overheard, "We're gonna have a battlefield."

"So little sis likes to play volleyball, huh?" Gan Ning said, shouldering Ce aside. He eyed her with scrutiny and doubt. "You don't look like you're up to the challenge," he noted, inadvertently flexing the muscles in his upper arm.

"Don't judge me by your standards," she snapped, her eyes narrowing in distaste. "That's unpleasant. I bet I could mop the floor with you, even if I had the worst players on my team!"

Gan Ning's smile broadened. "Oh ho, little sis has a temper."

"You're asking for it," Ce warned, holding a hand up to his face. "You don't want to get her started, Ning."

"Too late now," Shang Xiang cut in, already heading back to her role spot. "We'll see who's up to the challenge." As class officially started, the teacher wandered up and down the rows of students and checked their name off the attendance list while they stretched. Angrily Shang Xiang tightened her hand into a fist, boiling with adrenaline and fury. Ning was just like her brother! Always putting her down, thinking her weak, calling her "little sis"; she hated it!

The class was split up into teams for volleyball, and anxiously Shang Xiang awaited the calling of her name. When the teacher finally got to it, Shang Xiang closed her eyes and whispered in a fervent prayer, "Not me, not me, not me…" But it was too late. She was stuck on a team with Da Qiao. She opened her eyes to see Da Qiao's equally ferocious glare, and groaned silently. Her only consolation was that Lu Xun was on her team as well.

"I hope you play as well as they say you do," Shang Xiang said unabashedly to him, and he merely smiled, the dimples at the corners of his cheeks flaring to life. "I hope you do too," he answered, tilting his head in quiet challenge. She grinned at him.

"Talk is cheap," she countered, and bent down in the ready position.

"It is." He did the same, his elbows lightly touching the tops of his knees as he leaned forward, eyes bright and alert. She appreciated this all the more considering that Da Qiao and the two other people on their team were standing stock-still and ramrod-straight, not knowing that doing so was to ask to get hit in the face by a spike.

"Ready over there, Shang Xiang?" Gan Ning yelled from the other side of the court, his left arm lifted in an overhand serve. "Cause here I come!" He tossed the ball up and hit it in a powerful float, and Shang Xiang had to admit that Ning's muscles were good for something. Quickly she ran over underneath the ball, bumping it up to the middle front. Lu Xun set the ball up in a graceful arc, and with adrenaline pumping in her ears Shang Xiang approached the net and jumped up, swung her arm down and slammed the ball downwards.

To her surprise, Zhou Yu managed to dig her spike, and Ce quickly sent it back over the net with a short set. This time, Lu Xun received the ball and Shang Xiang set it straight up, where Xun killed it by smashing it into the deep left corner.

"Nice," she managed, out of breath, her grin wide.

He looked over at her, genuinely pleased. "You, too."

She gave him a mock frown. "What were you expecting?"

"Nothing but the best," he answered solemnly, and she looked at him quizzically for a few moments before she was interrupted. Ce had rolled the ball under the net for their serve, and to her intense disappointment Da Qiao was serving first.

Da Qiao glared fiercely at Shang Xiang, her hand curled up into a tiny fist. "You think you're so damn great," she snarled, low enough so that only she could hear, "but you're not the only one who can play volleyball!" So saying, she launched the ball over in an underhand serve, and Shang Xiang stifled a laugh. Needless to say, Ce put the ball over with little difficulty, and Lu Xun had to dive to pick up the spike. Quickly Shang Xiang darted over and pretended to set it upwards for a spike, and instead set it backwards over the net. Gan Ning fumbled for a footing but somehow managed to dig it up so that Zhou Yu could slam it over, straight at--

Smack. It hit Da Qiao right in the face, and she immediately crumpled to the ground, shielding her head with her arms. The game was put on hold as everyone in the class rushed over, the gym teacher most of all.

"What happened?" Xu Rong asked briskly, tugging away Da Qiao's arms from her face so she could assess the damage. "You got hit by the ball? There's a bruise on your forehead."

"Mrs. Rong," Da Qiao whimpered, "Shang Xiang pushed me into it. She did it on purpose, I swear!"

"What?" Shang Xiang exclaimed in horrible surprise, "I never even touched you!"

"You did!" Da Qiao pointed an accusatory finger at her, her eyes glowing with bright malice behind her tears. "She hates me, Mrs. Rong, she wanted to hurt me--!"

"Now, now, Miss Qiao, I'm sure that it was all just a mistake. Get up now. Miss Xiao Qiao, can you take your sister to the nurse? Alright, everyone, class is over for today. Go change." With curt instructions the teacher dismissed them, and Shang Xiang was left to shuffle back to the locker room in boiling indignation.

When she entered the locker room, she was pinned by two dozen reproaching pairs of eyes. "What a bitch," she heard one of the girls say loudly, "How could she do something like that to Da Qiao?" Ugh. That witch, Shang Xiang thought furiously as she slammed her locker shut, when everyone else had already left the room. Grabbing her backpack, she walked out into the crowded halls seething with fury.

It seemed that gossip traveled fast in this school. Already she could see people talking and pointing openly at her, some with open amusement and many with angry glares. With her chin held up high, Shang Xiang walked through the crowds, her cheeks tinged with only the faintest of blushes. Fourth period was microbiology, and with a sinking despair Shang Xiang saw that Lu Xun was not in her class.

She caught herself just as the thought crossed her mind. I do not need him, she whispered silently in her mind, I can handle this by myself! Bravely she entered the classroom, and took a seat in the back hoping she would go unnoticed by the rest of the people who had yet to come in. When nearly everyone had filtered in, the bell rang just as a group of older girls walked in, talking heedlessly. Shang Xiang caught a fragment of their conversation:

"Well, Da Qiao actually got what she deserved, for once. She's such a fag." The leader of the troupe, a tall, beautiful long-haired girl with a small mole under her right eye, said everything without even batting an eyelash. "It's a damned wonder why no one hit her earlier." The other girls nodded their assent, and Shang Xiang ducked her head in embarrassment. So it seemed that Da Qiao had her enemies as well. Did that mean this girl was her ally?

The long-haired girl walked over and gave Shang Xiang a disgusted look. "Tch…Get out," she said imperviously, eyes narrowed.

"What?" Shang Xiang was startled into replying, her face turning crimson as she realized everyone, including the teacher, was staring at them.

"You're in my seat," the girl said in the same icy tone, slamming her books down on the desk.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know." Shang Xiang fumbled getting her stuff together and slid out of the seat, looking for an empty spot. Oh, god. Why couldn't she have a normal, peaceful first day?

"Stupid newbies," the girl muttered loudly, plopping into the seat Shang Xiang had just vacated, flipping idly through a fashion magazine with her left pinkie. Shang Xiang's eyes narrowed in composed anger as she heard this, realizing that this girl was just as bad as Da Qiao--in all events, probably even worse.

Without feeling the least bit of sorrow Shang Xiang walked to the last row, where there was an empty seat behind a black-haired guy with a short spiky ponytail at the nape of his neck. She slid into the seat and threw open her books, biting down roughly on her lower lip. Now that she was here, she could fully appreciate home schooling. There wasn't so much of this popularity crap…this race to put down everyone that walked in your path. Vaguely Shang Xiang wondered if it was possible for her to drop out now, then she bristled with indignation. I can handle this, she said silently to herself, It's not that big of a deal.

In front of her, the man stirred and shifted in his seat. Shang Xiang glanced at him for a few moments, and returned to copying down the notes from the blackboard. Forty minutes later, the bell rang and the class was dismissed. Shang Xiang carefully waited for the long-haired girl and her group of friends to leave before getting up from her seat; she didn't want another confrontation like before. As she got up, a hand grasped her wrist--it was the guy who had sat in front of her, and now he looked at her with serious, calm brown eyes.

"You should be careful of her," he said quietly, jerking his head faintly towards the door to indicate the girl who had just left. "Zhen Ji is trouble."

For a moment she just stared at him, eyes wide and uncomprehending, and then she burst out in a small laugh. "I'm not afraid of her," she said strongly, grinning at the absurdity of it all. Had he wanted to warn her just for that? Surely that was too trivial.

A small smile appeared on his face, and the man shook his head. "You do not know what she is, then. Strange. I guess they haven't told you yet." He looked at her searchingly, his eyes seeming to ask her a silent question. "They don't want you to know."

"Know what?" she echoed tersely, all the mirth gone. What? What is it? What are your eyes trying to tell me? "Who doesn't want me to know?"

He regarded her in silence, and shook his head again. His fingers let go of her wrist, and he stood up from his chair, books in hand. "You're in a lot of danger right now. But it's not for me to tell you."

"Wait!" she cried, snatching at his hand in desperation, "What are you talking about? You can't start something and not finish it!" Gently he disentangled her fingers from his and walked to the door, leaving her standing there in stunned bewilderment.

He paused just as he was about to cross the doorway, turning to face her, and smiled almost sadly. "You should be careful of me, too." He caught sight of her pale face, and the flickering confusion in her eyes, and inwardly he felt himself soften. "My name is Zhao Yun." He nodded to her, and then he left.

----------------------------------------------------------------

[End notes: Whew. I think I'm about done introducing people (except maybe for one more), and I can finally get on to the plot. Don't worry, it's a good plot. Next week: Killings and killers. Lol. Thanks to the all readers who reviewed:

[HarborRat] Yeah, I know what you mean. Too many Mary-Sues out there when they do AU.

[Kudoh] Hey, it's dark AU for a reason, right? Though I haven't gotten to that part yet…

[Black Aura-Sama] You're a lot a closer than you think! And you hit everyone right on the dot, that was mainly the personality I was going for. Quan…eh, he seems very serious and all to me. Must be the sideburns.

[Sabaku.ai.tsuki] I promise to update every week!

[Beast Trainer] SSX is my favorite, too! Along with (who else?) Lu Xun and Zhao Yun.