Commanding Officer Mel
Disclaimer: I don't own the company that made Advance Wars but I do own a copy of the game.
This is a basis of the story of Advance Wars, except for some slight character changes and some ideas I got from reading other fics. However the changes are mainly based on Andy and Sami. I'll go on further as the story advances. And some relationships will still be there though. But this story takes place a lot before the main wars even start.
Prologue: Before the wars. . .
Time: 3 or so years before the great conflict between the five countries of this world. A Friday afternoon, 1700 hours OSST (Orange Star Standard Time)
Place: Orange Star, Province of Alara, Capital of Orange Star, Orange Star University, Main Lobby
"Ergh . . . where is Andy?" Sami muttered as she removed the glasses from her face and rubbed at her eyes. She normally wore them, but occasionally she wore contacts instead.
"Why are you asking me? I don't even know where your idiot cousin is. I'm still waiting for a friend too, you know." Sonja said rather unenthusiastically. Sami just looked at her best friend with a vacant stare and wondered who she was talking about.
"He said that there was someone he wanted to introduce me to . . ."
"Really? Andy said the same thing. Maybe it was the guy that always came around and picked him up whenever he went downtown to practice or something . . ."
Sami looked around again and began fiddling around with her long red hair. "So who's this guy that you keep going on about?"
"Oh, just someone from Orange Star, he stayed in Comet at my place for a while doing some studying and weapons development. He mainly wanted to be a CO here, but he said that he might be a bit overqualified." She suddenly trailed off as she remembered when she fought him in a sim battle in Fog of War. He had seen all her moves and finished her in less then ten turns. " . . .the thing is apparently he has no weakness and all the appropriate strengths and more in all possible forms of war. It was really strange." Sonja said this while wrapping her loose hair around her finger.
"Uh-huh . . . so can he capture properties as fast as me?" Sami asked with some sudden interest in this mystery person.
"No . . ."
"Ha! He can't be that great then!" Sami started with much superiority.
"He can do it in one turn . . ." Sonja finished still feeling startled that her Fog of War prowess was bested. Sami, stared at her friend in slight shock.
"Wha-no way! How? Why? What else can he do?" She went on stammering in amazement. Sonja, looked around, to see if she could see if her friend had arrived yet. She really didn't want to be caught talking about him behind his back.
"Practically everything else . . . Hey! But let's not talk about his battle skills okay?"
"All right if you insist . . ." Sami sighed as she noted Sonja decided to change the topic. "Well, let's see, Andy said that his friend was a musician and played for the two of them whenever he went out to sing at the clubs, said that he wasn't half bad. Anyway, Andy is pretty much famous at the clubs around the country, he's got a good voice. Always goes out with this friend of his."
"Really? My friend's a musician and he said he wanted to introduce me to the singer!"
"Hmm . . . I have a feeling we may be talking about the same people here . . ." Sami was realizing where this conversation was heading. She decided to end it and sat down on top of her luggage with a sigh. "Now Andy, please get here soon, you're gonna be late for the first day of class . . ."
Time: Meanwhile . . .roughly same time as Sonja and Sami are conversing.
Place: Somewhere on the highway of Orange Star near the Capital.
"Dammit, Andy! Why the heck do you not live closer to the freaking Capital, huh?" Mel said through his teeth.
"Well, it's not my fault you live in the same place practically . . .another thing, I live with my cousin, Sami, she might be a pain, but the two of us are the only family we have. How 'bout you?"
"Hmph, I live by myself, lost my family just like you. And you mean that red head's an Asian?"
"Yeah . . . she is Chinese, just like me. . . She speaks heckuva lot better than most other Chinese I know too. Funny really." Andy looked out the window of Mel's sports car and stared out into the plains and forests. "Hmm . . . Looks pretty secluded out here."
"Well, I'll say one thing, your cousin looks pretty cute."
"Oh really? Yeah I guess, most guys try to date her, but she says that whoever can beat her at a war simulator can go out with her." That caught Mel's interest.
"Yeah? Lemme show you a thing or two then Andy-boy."
"Huh?"
"See this gun and sword here in the back?" Andy turned to see a large handgun of some sorts, and a sinister looking katana blade.
"Yeah?"
"Those weapons are used for my Officer abilities, both can cause major damage to the enemy forces."
"You got two powers?" Andy looked shocked, most officers could only have one type of ability, maybe his friend was a bit different if he could pull something off like that.
"No, three. . ." Mel said calmly as he readjusted his glasses and hit the gas.
"Wha-hey! Whatchit! We almost hit something there! Andy just groaned as Mel pushed harder on the accelerator.
"Well, because I had to pick you up so that I could introduce you to my friend Sonja-"
"What? A girl? Who? Your girlfriend?"
"No, you moron, I never had a girlfriend, even if all those girls in Orange Star throw themselves at us. People might know me well but I prefer to be single right now, just like you."
"Is she cute?"
"Why did I have an idea you might say that?"
"Lucky guess?"
"No, I noticed you were getting kind of lonely and annoyed that girls are throwing themselves at you just to look good around each other. Maybe if I hook you up with someone cute, yet not a total ditz, perhaps all those other suitors will leave you alone."
"You're doing this for me?" Andy looked hard into his friend's face.
"Also to get you off my back when I go out." Mel joked.
"Gee, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything then." Mel held out a hand and pointed in front of them. "Here we are! Orange Star U!" With that, the car with the license plate 'DRAGON' screeched by and skidded into a spot right in the front of the university.
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?!?" Andy yelled as his jaw dropped. Everyone else who had watched grew enormous sweat drops and stared at the black car. "Man, that was cool! But that was as dangerous as-" Andy was cut off as Mel had already reached the trunk and took out his luggage, and headed for the school.
Time: Minutes after Mel and Andy's Dramatic arrival
Place: U of O.S.
The building had all of a sudden sounded with screams of many girls.
"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON SONJA!?!?" Sami yelled out looking for her school friend.
". . .what? I can't really hear you behind my stuff. . ." Sonja was hiding behind her suitcases near the wall looking out at a large crowd. "Appears someone famous might have appeared." Sonja looked around again but she couldn't tell. Sami then went up to the crowd and grabbed the nearest person by the collar.
"What is going on and who is here?" She looked as though she could kill someone right there and then. The unfortunate boy looked up and replied shaking.
"Just Andy Lau and Mel Mah, that's all, they just came in and I tried to get a look but I'm far too short. . . please don't hurt me. . ." Sami stared wide-eyed with disbelief at the boy and dropped him to the floor in a heap.
"Wow. . . I didn't know Andy was that famous." She pulled off her glasses and wiped them again. She headed back for where Sonja was, Sodashi-chan had finally extricated herself from her hiding spot.
"Lousy bunch of bakas I wish they wouldn't do that. . . so who was that?"
"MY cousin and his musician. . ."
"Ooh . . . he's famous . . . that's what I would like in a boy . . ." Sonja's eyes went all sparkly as she was daydreaming.
"Please don't get all syrupy and sugary on me . . ." Sami said as she grew a sweat drop the size of a pineapple. "I wonder how those two are gonna get through."
"Shit! Get outta my way!" Mel shouted as he pushed and tossed people away from him and Andy.
"Whoa, dude, we rock. . ." Andy said as he blankly looked at his fans.
"Shuttup Andy! How do ya expect to be a CO if you let people admire you instead of doing something? Thank goodness you're a mechanic as well. Or else I'm gonna stick a wrench into the works."
"Alright, all right don't have to get mean about it, sheesh . . ." Mel got a bit ticked off and drew his pistol and shot into the roof.
'BLAM!' Then there was silence. But that was until a chunk of the ceiling fell and hit the same unfortunate boy that Sami had lifted up to interrogate.
"That's better, sorry about that guys. . ." Mel said as the crowd moved 6 feet away from him and Andy.
"Hey look! It's Mel! Mel-kun over here!" Sonja said as she jumped and waved excitedly. Sami looked and saw the same person that Sonja was waving to was the same person accompanying her cousin.
"Hoo-boy . . . Andy, you finally got that lazy butt of yours out of the house and got your pal to pick you up! What took you? Hmm?" Sami peered down at Andy and giggled quietly as Andy made a face.
"Urk! Sami! How can you say that?!" Mel put his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder and calmed him down.
"So . . . this is your cousin . . . aren't you going to introduce me? Andy? Sonja?"
"Oh, I, right!" Sonja suddenly remembered. "Sami, this is Mel Mah, former resident of Yellow Comet and Mel, this is Sami Mui, my best friend and school mate. Who's that cutie?" She glanced over at Andy and winked at him, then started to giggle. Andy felt as if his insides had melted and his face had hit the ground hard.
"Err . . . this is Andy Lau . . . Sonja, Andy, Andy, this is Sonja Sodashi, daughter of Commander Kanbei of Yellow Comet, she was one of my friends I met along the way in my travels." Andy finally regained his composure and looked at his cousin and Sonja.
"Okay . . . well I see we're all introduced now, but well, um, er, how are you cuz?"
"Well enough and finally glad you're here. I wouldn't forgive you if you missed the first day of classes, especially if we want to make it as COs. But now that you're here we can finally go and sign in." She was smiling at Andy and then she turned and bumped into Mel's six foot frame and fell down.
"Oof, oh sorry . . . what was it again?"
"Mel . . .but no, I should be the one who is sorry. Let me help you." He grinned at her and gave her a hand getting up. Sami was blushing a bit, but managed to get up still smiling.
"Thanks, I think we'd better hurry and sign in, then find out where we're located, okay?"
"Yeah I guess, see you later Sami."
"You too . . . Mel!"
"Later cuz. . ."
"Sayonara Andy-kun!" Sonja blew a kiss at Andy. She was apparently smitten by him as she went off to follow Sami to sign in.
"Mel . . . what just happened?"
"I-I'm not really sure what just happened." The two guys grew sweat drops as they headed towards the tables.
Time: An hour or so after sorting out all the details.
Place: Outside in the campus of the U
"All right everyone! We're going to list out who your roommates are and where you guys are staying. After that you guys can rest in your dorms, or go to the University Entertainment Club, where two celebrities have agreed to entertain you all for the night." Miss Nell said out through the microphone. "I present to you Andy Lau and Mel Mah!" Andy and Mel felt themselves in shock as they were pushed and dragged up on to the stage.
"Andy, please tell me this didn't happen . . ." Mel whispered to his equally shocked friend.
"I-I-I . . .help . . ." Andy promptly fainted, leaving Mel alone.
"Nell! What on Green Earth is the meaning of this?"
"Oh, I'm sorry Mel, but this was the best I could do on short notice, really . . . please don't worry, I was only afraid that it would kind of suck on the first day. But we realized that two of Orange Stars best entertainers were enrolled, so we kind of took advantage of the situation before we knew it, sorry." Nell was blushing furiously as she looked up at her soon to be student.
"Um, can I please go now? This is really unnerving and I think I would like my dorm partner and room number please??" Mel looked around anxiously and scanned the list that Nell showed him. 'Hmm, let me see, Me and Andy, Officer's Suite and room 777? Weird. . .'
"Well here it is, do you need anything in your room?" Nell asked nervously. "It's the least we can do for doing this to you two."
"How about a Grand Piano, Wide-screen TV, home entertainment system, video games, Computer systems and decent furniture?"
"Done! As long as you promise to go on with tonight and whenever we need the two of you?." Nell whispered, she noticed the other students were getting restless.
"Fine! And as long as I can have a private parking spot for the Dragon too?"
"Dragon?"
"My car. . . it's got a silver dragon emblem on its top and sides. OK?"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes ! Just do it Mel! Please!"
"Oh, all right then." Mel nodded and took the two key cards for the dorm and dragged Andy, his luggage and Andy's luggage to the Suite and groaned, as he had to plan a gig for the night. He really wanted to have a sparring match with some of the Martial Arts enthusiasts that night with Andy's help.
"Sonja, what just happened up on stage?"
"I'm not sure but that cute cousin of yours fainted on stage and Mel is dragging him off to that nice looking car and now they're driving off to that nice looking building." She looked slightly dazed and dreamy. Sami quickly looked for her small gun hidden in her jacket and shot off a round to wake up Sonja.
'BANG!'
"Huh! Wha-oh, Mui-chan stop doing that!"
"Grr. . . Sonja, really, pay attention and stop looking at my cousin like that!"
"Sami Mui and Sonja Sodashi, please come up to the stage to pick up your key cards for room 776 of the Officer's Suite." Nell said as she had read down the list to that area already astoundingly.
"Oh Sonja, you're hopeless, let's go now I guess."
"Okay, I wonder who we're neighbors with? And no, I am not hopeless. Just unlucky. Hmph!" Sonja said, until she tripped over a rock and fell face first into the grass.
"All right you win!" Sami said as she threw up her arms and then started laughing as Sonja hurriedly tried to get up.