Disclaimer: Don't own anything, not the Mighty Ducks, not Miharu or Xiaoyu or anything.
Note: Heihachi is the old fart!
Miharu sped around the corner, ramming into the person that was innoccently standing there. Both fell in surprize. The man reacted better then Miharu; he caught the girl and managed to stop them from hitting the ground. He stood up and helped Miharu get steady.
"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't looking, and my flight leaves - " Miharu cut herself off.
"It ain't polite ta stare." He was amused.
"Oh!" Miharu went red. "I...I'm sorry. I need to go..." She tried to run around him, but he stepped around and blocked her off. "Hey!"
"What's ya name sweetheart?"
"Miharu."
"What?"
"Thats my name!" Americans! What, he thought she was just saying jibberish?
"Sorry. Not use ta human names."
"Huh?" Miharu blinked. He was...he was a real duck! Miharu looked up at him again. She circled him, looking for zippers or seems. Not finding any, she started to poke and look manually.
"Woa! Sweetheart!" He stepped away. Miharu reached up and touched his beak. He jerked away, looking at her strangely.
"Your...your...holy smoley!" Miharu then realised what she had done (poor guy) and blushed. "I mean - I thought -"
"Ya don't know me?" He eyed her skeptically. "Where ya from?"
"China. Plane!" Miharu suddenly panicked, shooting past the duck. He followed her to the doors of the airport. She groaned, frustration forcing her to her knees. Last plane to China left one and a half minutes ago! "No! UG! Why me! They'll start the Tournament without me! Xiaoyu, I'm sorry!" She said all this in Chinese, so people where giving her even more odd looks then normal. She stuck her tongue out at them, then laid on the floor. The duck peered down at her. People gave them annoyed looks, as they had to go around the two.
"I have no idea what ya said, but ya sound a little distressed."
She smiled ruefully. "Never mind. Well, I'm stuck here till tomorrow morning...so...I think I'll lay here till tomorrow morning."
He chuckled. "How 'bout ya get off da floor an' we go an' eat?"
"Why? This is a good place...maybe I'll make the plane next time...I was late because of a stupid cute puppy! Darn pet store, why'd it have to be there!" She noticed he was still there, looking down at her with amused eyes. Eye. One eye was mechanical! How in the world did she miss that?
"Ya done whining?" He asked.
"Pretty much. But...I'm comfy."
"I'm payin'."
"Comfyness gone." Miharu shot up. Free food! "I need to phone Xiaoyu!"
"Who?"
"My best friend." Miharu explained as they left the airport behind. "She's expecting me." He handed her his cell phone. "Oh no! That would really give you a bill! Thats expensive!" He waved it off, saying,
"I got enough money for whatever they can throw at me. Its just one phone call."
"I'm a girl."
"Ahright, so it'll be one long phone call."
She took it, ringing up Xiaoyu's number. After a few rings a tired sounding girl answered in Chinese.
"If this ain't important your gonna pay!"
"Xiao!" Miharu greeted.
"Oh! Miharu! Are you on the plane? Are you coming home? Where there any cute guys in America? Is the food good? Any cute animals?"
"I saw this really sweet looking puppy...and it, uh...I'm still firmly on American soil."
"What color was his fur - your not on the plane? Miharu! Nooooo!" She wailed. "I can't do this by myself! What am I suppose to do!"
"Kiss Jin?"
"Besides that!" Xiaoyu whimpered. "Miharu!" Xiaoyu started to full-out bawl.
"Don't worry, I'll be there during the second rounds!"
"But you won't be able to fight! You'll be a BYSTANDER! WAAAAAAAA! Hey, where are you staying then? Miharu!" Xioayu said.
"What?"
The duck tapped Miharu on the shoulder, motioning to the entrance to a shady looking restaurant. Miharu followed him in - if it was a trap, she could easily get out. She hoped. Xiaoyu continued.
"You meant to miss the plane! You found an American Sweetheart! Your abandoning me for a guy!"
"Not really...though I did meet an interesting fellow..." Miharu thought, 'Wow, nice!' It was a nice little restaurant, not like the outside. It was warm, nice and actually home-like.
"Well!" Xiaoyu bellowed as Miharu and the duck sat down.
"He's an honest to goodness large duck."
"What?" Xiaoyu sounded confused. "You mean, he's in a costume?"
"No."
"He has feathers?"
"Yeah."
"A beak?"
"And a cute tail."
"A cute...Miharu, you slept with a duck!"
"Actually, I was looking for a zipper to the costume. And I think I better get off. I'm using his cell."
"He's letting you use his cell phone to phone China, knowing you are phoning your best friend and that we are both girls?"
"Yeah."
"Is he paying for the grub?"
"Yeah."
"Are you daft!"
"What?"
"Miharu! He LIKES you, or at least he wants in your pants!"
"Goodbye, Xioayu!"
"Bye!"
Click. Miharu handed the cell back to the duck. "Um...whats your name?"
"Duke L'Orange."
A waitress came by, perkily greeting them and handing them menus. She fluttered to the next table.
"Avoid de Soup surprise. Allie likes ta put de oddest things inside." Duke warned.
"Right." Miharu nodded.
In the end she got mushroom soup and tea- and he got a large Hawiian pizza with a coffee.
"Where is China?" He asked.
"Right around the world - littterly. Its on the other side, right beside Korea and across from Japan."
"Is it warm?"
"In some parts. Others its quite cold."
He asked questions, and she answered, but whenever she asked he found a way around answering. In the end he knew she lived in an apartment with Xiaoyu, how it came about that Xiaoyu won ownership of Mishima Corp, Miharu failed the collage entrance exams...she wondered if she should be telling him all this.
She was amazed that he ate the whole pizza - and then got dessert. He ate like Xiaoyu! Her on the other hand, only had the soup and a slice of apple pie. And she only ate half the slice. (he ate the other half - he said food shouldn't be wasted)
As they left the restaurant, Duke told her, "I don't want ta go home...do ya wanna see some sights?"
"Sure." Miharu glanced at him. "Where do you have in mind?"
"Follow." He shot her a grin, before disappearing in an ally. Miharu hesitated, then as the fool she is, ran after. He was waiting by the end, looking amused. "I ain't gonna hurt ya, kid."
"Hm?" Miharu gave him an innocent look. He left her in the dust again.
After an half hour of this find-then-lose chase, Miharu found herself at the entrance to a cave. Duke's voice came from within: 'C'mon sweetheart!"
She entered rather unwillingly, as this screamed rape and murder. Instead she froze at the doorway to a large cavern. The walls glittered many colours, the little pond inside reflected this, and Duke was sitting on a rock. Miharu got over her shock, going and sitting beside the Duck.
"I come here once a week, ta be by myself. With Phil's schemes, Dive an' Mal fightin', Tanya's nutso ideas ta get us home...its nice, ya know?"
"Yeah." Miharu agreed.
"Hey, how old are ya?" Duke asked suddenly.
"Twenty. You?"
"My age."
"Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Avoid answering questions."
"I do not."
"Ri-ight."
"Miharu?"
"Yup?"
"Wanna go for a swim?"
"What? Here? In our clothes?"
"I was thinkin' we leave de clothes on de shore."
"Naked!"
"Well, most people call it skinny dippin'." He was amused.
"Not what I meant." Miharu answered.
"Ya don' have ta, but I'm goin' in." And he got up. Miharu watched speechless as he stripped then jumped in. Miharu looked back to the cave entrance, and...
Splash!
"Good of ya ta join me."
"Shut up." Miharu splashed him. He splashed back. Miharu made the mistake of going after him. It was soon obvious that if she ever did get in a serious fight with him, she'd lose terribly. Laughter and light-hearted swearing made its way out of the caves, the laughter from Duke, the swearing from Miharu.
A few minutes later, both made it back to the shore. Miharu shook like a dog, getting all the wetness off. Duke went over to the clothes and threw a towel at her.
"Huh? A towel? Where on Earth did you keep this?"
"Behind this here rock." Duke patted the rock he had sat on. He was sitting on it again, but this time drying off.
"Do this often?"
"Once a week." Duke turffed Miharu her jeans and t-shirt. Her underwear sailed after them. She snatched them off the ground, thinking, 'Ug. Dirt.'
After they where dressed, they wondered back outside.
"Need a place ta stay, then?" Duke asked as they made it back to Anaheim.
"Yup. But I got money, I can get a hotel..."
"You can stay at th' Pond."
"The pond?" Miharu looked up at him, confused.
"Where me and th' other Ducks live."
"Oh no!" Miharu was horrified. "I couldn't do that."
"Why not?" Duke was amused.
"Thats not fair!" Miharu said. "I can't just come in and-"
"Sure ya can." Duke grinned. "Ya won't have ta worry 'bout anythin', dey won't be in my room."
"Ohhhh." Miharu grinned back.
It was quite in the 'pond'. Miharu was surprised when Duke dragged her into an elevator at the back of the changing room. Who would of thought? They lived under the stadium. Not beside, oh no, that'd be too simple. Perhaps that old fart was after them too. Evil man.
She frowned. She hoped he didn't come to America. Leave the Ducks alone! Rights for the Ducks!
"Yeah!" She punched the air. Her face went red. Duke raised an eyebrow. "Er...never mind..." Miharu smiled sheepishly. "Thoughts an...an' things."
"Right. Sweetheart, ya tired?"
"Er...a little?"
"Uh-huh." He ushered her into a dark room. "Well, whatevah the case..."
He said something that would make even Heihachi blush. Miharu decided right then she really, really liked guys with feathers. And Brooklyn accents.
She opened an eye. This wasn't right. This was not China, or the plane to China, or anything remotely like China. She was not in her own bed or in a plane seat. Where the hell was she?
"Miharu, Angel, ya cuttin' off my blood flow." A voice whispered. Miharu froze cold-turkey for a split second, then sat up off the guys arm. She was certain it had been a feathery pillow. "Thanks."
"No problem." She answered. Where were the windows? A light switch?
A duck. Her memory clicked back in. Now where was the bloody light-switch! She fumbled around his dresser for a second, but the creep had no lamp.
"Miharu? What are ya doin'?"
"Light." She answered. He reached over, sliding his hand neatly onto hers. He guided her hand up and hit the light button. "Ohhhh." It turned into a yawn.
"Woa, Dude, I hear a girlie!" A voice came from outside.
"Nosedive, move. " An older guy snapped. "Hey, why are you listening at Duke's door anyway?"
"Cause, Wing, I heard a voice that was a little too high pitched."
"We let her meet you and she'll never come back." A woman joined in. "On second thought, lets send him in..."
Duke grinned at Miharu. "Want ta meet de rest of da pack?"
"That depends, wheres our clothes?" Miharu went head first down, looking through the junk on the floor for her jeans. Men and their messes. "Aloha!" She snatched her underwear from under a notebook.
"Ya got a nicer ass in the light."
"That's just cause you've never seen Xiaoyu's." Miharu muttered.
"Not confident in that department, huh? Gotta fix dat."
"When are you comin' out, man, I wanna meet her!" Nosedive whinged from outside. "Hey...OW! WILDWING! Its not like their doing anything! Wait, are you? OW!"
Miharu giggled. What a dork.
She sat back up, slipping her shirt on. Now if only she could find her pants...
"There undah de desk." Duke pointed out. Miharu got off the bed.
"Thanks. Hey, arn't you going to get dressed?" She wondered as she put her pants on.
"I will." He smiled. Miharu rolled her eyes and went to the door. His problem, not hers. Yet by the time she reached the door, he was behind her and fully dressed. She envied that ability, Xiaoyu would never be able to drag her naked out in front of anyone again. Alright, it was once, and Xiaoyu didn't mean to, she just wanted the bathroom. But would it of killed her to give Miharu a skirt and shirt or something!
The door opened by itself, and a blond duck keeled over, nearly knocking Miharu over - Duke had yanked her to the side. The blond grinned up at them.
"So much for never getting a human girlfriend." It was Nosedive. He stood up, unfazed that he had been caught snooping. "Are you livin' here with us?"
"Er..." Miharu hadn't expected that. Live here? She just jumped one of his team mates, not asked for marriage.
"No, Dive. Actually, after breakfast, we're goin' to China." Duke corrected. "At least, I'm dropping her off then comin' home."
"China? Why? Oh! Your Chinese!" He eyed Miharu. "Funny, you don't look any different then an American Human."
To this Miharu replied in Chinese: "You think we Chinese don't look human! Why, I should roast you and eat you with some cranberry sauce!"
"With pumkin pie." Nosedive added in Chinese.
"Ohhhh." Miharu grinned. "You speak Chinese."
"And damn good, if I say so myself." Nosedive smirked. "So, you still want to eat me?"
Miharu laughed. "Your alright, Duckie." She decided. He mocked-bowed to her.
"So are you, Monkey-Girl."
"Could you speak English and on de way ta de kitchen?" Duke broke in, apparently shocked Nosedive could speak another human language - and knew where and what China was.
"No problemo, dude!" Nosedive linked his arm with Miharu, pulling her along the corridor, asking, "Where abouts in China you from?"
"Hong Kong." Miharu answered, linking her fingers into Duke's. She slipped her arm out of Nosedive's.
"I know this might be alittle racist of me, but you do know Martial Arts, right?"
"That I do." Miharu smiled. "How about you?"
"Nah. I run and cover, and I shoot like a madman."
Miharu guessed they didn't let many people in the Pond. Especially since when Wildwing was introduced to her he told her seriously, "Anything goes missing, or is sabotaged, I am holding you responsible." Then with a smile, "Unless, of course, its Dive's doing."
"And proud!" Nosedive added.
Mallory didn't want to talk to her, but did anyway before stomping off. Tanya glanced up absently from her magazine with a smile. Grin called her 'little featherless friend' and bowed to her respectfully, to which she replied with the same like but called him 'friend from the stars'.
Tanya didn't eat much wheras Nosedive ate so much Xiaoyu would get a stomach ache watching him. Miharu wondered if all their money was spent on keeping Nosedive full.
She poked her egg. What she wouldn't give for some nice rice while watching cartoons with Xiaoyu.
"Ya alright?" Duke whispered.
"Yes!" She answered with a smile. She began to eat.
"Is it too much?"
"I'm fine, Duke, good gravy."
"Ahright, ahright." He took some of her bacon anyway, knowing she'd never finish it.
After breakfast they said goodbye (Nosedive kissed her then ran for cover before Duke could damage him) and left. Miharu directed where they where going. She almost made them go to Russia. She now knew why she failed those damn exams. All well, a little ajustment and there! Back on track.
China was beautiful. Home wonderful home!
He landed in a park. People stared as the girl kissed him on the cheek, thanked him for dropping her off at home, and then waved at the retreating plane. With a glare at the crowd Miharu ran home.