Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ A Gift of Love ❯ Equivalent Exchange? ( Chapter 10 )

Notes: “Mei-Mei” means “little sister” in Chinese. It's also sort of a play on “Pin-Mei”

 

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A Gift of Love - Chapter Ten: Equivalent Exchange?

 

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It didn't take Ren long to reach the main quarters of the building. The guards were so weak that he was beginning to think that bringing his Kwan Dao was a waste of time and energy. He had no trouble getting past them. He finally arrived at a door with a padlock on it.

 

This must be where she is.

 

With one swipe of the Kwan Dao, the lock was no more. He opened it, expecting to see Pin-Mei in there. She wasn't.

 

Instead, there were at least eight or ten girls in the small room. All looked very thin and malnourished, as if they hadn't eaten in days, or even weeks. They all looked at him with wide eyes.

 

What sick men… he thought. I'll have to come back for these girls later, after I've secured a way out.

 

He was about to close the door, but stopped.

 

If I just close the door, it might scare or confuse them. Um…

 

“I promise to come back for you all later,” he said. Then he repeated it in Chinese in case there were any other girls like Pin-Mei there. He closed the door and continued his mission.

 

This must have happened at least two more times. He didn't think that they would have this many girls in the building at once. As he came to the fifth door, he was about to get ready to say his Japanese/Chinese shpeal again. He slashed the Kwan Dao down and looked inside.

 

There she was.

 

She was in the room by herself, tied to a chair unlike the other girls who were able to sit and stand freely, sleeping. He cautiously walked over to her. There were tear stains on her face from crying and the skin under her eyes was red. He cupped her left cheek with his right hand and whispered into her ear.

 

“Pin-Mei, wake up… It's me.”

 

Her eyes flew open as he brought his face back into her view. She tried to say a barrage of things to him through the tape, but was overwhelmed with emotion and resorted to drooping her head and crying instead. He put his hand on her head.

 

“Don't worry, Mei-Mei, I'm going to get you out of here.”

 

She lifted her head a little at the sudden nickname. He took the opportunity to gently wipe the tears from her eyes. The gesture only seemed to make her cry more. Ren sighed and shook his head, but gave her a reassuring smile.

 

“Everything's going to be okay from now on, I promise.”

 

He circled behind her and went to work untying the ropes that bound her hands (it was too dangerous to cut them using the Kwan Dao). The knots were expertly tied, and he had a lot of trouble taking them apart.

 

Pin-Mei suddenly started struggling and trying to talk. Ren quickly got annoyed because it made untying the knots that much harder.

 

“Pin-Mei, stop it,” he commanded. “I can't untie the ropes if you keep moving around.” He undid the last knot. “Okay, all done.”

 

She shot up from the chair and ripped off the tape.

 

“Niisama! Behind you!”

 

Ren looked just in time to see a wooden sword come down and knock him out.

 

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Note: For this part, italics in quotes are Chinese. Italics without quotes are still thoughts. Japanese is regular text.

 

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When he woke up, he was chained to a wall, his arms locked above his head. Every part of his body hurt, which was visible through all the cuts and bruises he had. He looked around the room, but it was all so blurry. His mind was still cloudy, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was and what had happened.

 

“Well, look who decided to wake up.”

 

Ren looked up to see “The Don” standing in front of him. He was grinning. Behind him, Ren's Kwan Dao was laying in the corner.

 

“Tell this boy what a big mistake it was to try to steal Wonton,” he said to the translator.

 

Before the translator could say one word, Ren opened his mouth.

 

“I don't need your damn translator,” he said angrily. “And her name isn't Wonton, it's Pin-Mei. Now, where is she?! Tell me you god forsaken bastard!”

 

The Don snapped his fingers and a few of his men appeared, pulling Pin-Mei along with them. Her hands were tied again, and a chain was around her neck.

 

“Niisama!”

 

“Shut up!” One of the men tugged on the chain, forcing her head backward. The Don smirked.

 

“Alright, son, let's you and I have a little talk,” The Don said. He turned to the translator. “I want you to tell her what's going on. After all, it has a great deal to do with her.”

 

The translator nodded.

 

“Let her go. Now,” Ren commanded.

 

“I'm sorry, but I need her for a little while. Business purposes. You understand right?”

 

“If you don't let her go, you're not going to have to worry about business, trust me.” His eyes were cold.

 

The Don laughed. “And what can you do in your current situation?” He paused. “That's right, nothing.” He laughed again.

 

From inside his coat, he pulled out a pistol. “Watch this,” he said, grinning at his minions. He pointed the gun at Ren's head.

 

Pin-Mei went absolutely mad.

 

“Please don't! Please! Don't kill him! I'll do anything! Just please, don't kill him!”

 

“Quiet, Pin-Mei! He's going to use that against you!” Ren called over.

 

The translator smirked. “She said she'll do anything if you spare that boy's life.”

 

“Really, now?” The boss pivoted and put his face near hers. “I wonder if she'll feel the same way once we tell her the conditions of setting the boy free.” He did a motion with his head and neck in order to signal the translator to tell her the conditions.

 

The man went over to her and whispered in her ear. When Pin-Mei's eyes widened in horror, Ren instantly knew what the conditions were.

 

“Do you accept?”

 

Pin-Mei looked at the groups of men on both sides of her. They snickered, some licking their lips or blowing fake kisses. She looked at to Ren. He was shaking his head, mouthing “No,” over and over again. She closed her eyes, then smiled sadly.

 

“Don't!” Ren yelled. “I'll be fine, Pin-Mei, you don't have to do this! No…In fact, I ORDER you not to!”

 

She opened her eyes and looked at him, still smiling.

 

“It's okay, Niisama,” she said. “I'm fine with this. It won't mean anything to me. Besides…” Tears came to her eyes. “Don't you think it's time for me to save you?”

 

“Pin-Mei…”

 

“I don't care what happens to me right now. Call me a goody two-shoes or a wannabe-saint, or whatever you want; as long as you're okay, I'm okay, too.”

 

The Don was getting impatient. “WELL??”

 

“Do you accept the conditions?”

 

Ren stared at her. She smiled one last time before lowering her head so he couldn't see her face.

 

“Yes, I accept. Now please, let him go.”

 

“Oh I forgot to mention,” the Don chimed in. “The boy has to watch.”

 

Ren's eyes widened with the same horror as Pin-Mei's. He looked at her. She had raised her head enough to meet his gaze. He swore he could see her mouth “I'm sorry”, but he didn't know what she should be sorry for.

 

“Okay, get to it boys!”

 

Even though it had all happened in front of him, it was still so surreal. He was going to have to watch her go through this. He was going to have to watch his fiancée have her spirit broken, have something precious taken from her. His brain wouldn't work. He couldn't think of anything to do. He didn't know how to save her.

 

I'm fine with this.

 

No, she won't be, he thought. She doesn't realize how much this is going to change her. He lowered his head, his fists clenched. She won't smile anymore. She won't be able to sleep. She won't eat. She won't let another man touch her. Not even me. She'll cry. She'll be an empty shell…

 

She won't be Pin-Mei anymore.

 

He snapped his head up, eyes piercing.

 

“LIKE HELL I'M GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN!!”

 

He started pulling on the chains with all his might. The men stared at him, even the ones who had by now thrown Pin-Mei to the floor.

 

“What does that punk think he's doing?” The Don wondered aloud.

 

“Idiot! There's no way he can break those chains!”

 

But Ren kept pulling. A bolt holding the chains in place snapped, then another.

 

“…'The hell?” the boss cried. “Go stop him!!”

 

But before any of them could reach him, the last of the bolts snapped and Ren was free. He walked over and took his Kwan Dao from the corner. He didn't turn back to face them.

 

“I'm giving all of you less than five seconds to let go of her and leave,” he said in a low voice.

 

“Just who do you think you are?” one of the men shouted. Ren turned around.

 

“Did you not just hear me?”

 

His eyes were wild. His wrists were bleeding from where the iron had dug into them. The aura around him was dark and full of rage. He pointed his weapon at the lowlifes.

 

“Get out of here, or I'll kill you all.”