Chapter One: Happenings

"No matter what people say
We got it going on
Who cares about what they think
(Won't you come and)
We are the number one
(Come and show me how you do that baby)
No matter what people say
We got it going on
Who cares about what they think..."
- Lil' Kim - No Matter what they say

‘Where the hell is she? God damn it! She said she'd be here! Why won't she get here ass over here! I already called her a gazillions times on her cell! I want to order something! So I can see Julio! This time I'm going to ask him out! No more being a chickenshit! Lupe told me his break is..’ she looked at her watch, ‘about now, she said he usually goes in the back of the restaurant to smoke, hell, why not ask him out while he's there? It wouldn't hurt.’
Mira made up her mind and went to the back of the restaurant for a quick look. Then, when she reached the back of the restaurant, she first heard a giggle. She walked slower. The source of the giggling was revealed. It was Lupe who resumed to making out passionately with Julio. Mira’s “friend” finally broke away from Julio. "I better go Mira might be getting suspicious," Lupe told her amor and started to head in Mira’s direction.
‘Shit!’ Mira ran as fast as she could, and made it to her table. Acting as if nothing happened but deep down in side she felt a bubble of murderous feelings and disappointment forming, finally she decided
‘I'll nab her after the meeting tomorrow then she fell hell's fury...Bitch.’
"Hey, what's up girl," Lupe finally came to the table faintly smelling of smoke and cologne, "Damn, why are you clutching that knife so hard?"
"Oh, it's just that I can't wait to taste the enchiladas! They are grubbin'," Mira tried to sound convincingly as possible and letting go of the knife.
"So, what did you do on your vacation?" Lupe sat down and put a napkin on her lap.
"Not much I just got a lot of rest, shopped, and rearranged my apartment and read three interesting books by.." Lupe sliced through the sentence like a hot knife on butter.
"Mira, honey, reading is boring, rearranging your apartment is boring, shopping I'll accept but reading, during your vacation? Come on girl! Live a little! I should’ve kept in touch with you we could’ve gone clubin' in Tijuana."
It was Mira's turn to interrupt. "Drink till you puke, get hangovers, and ah yes, get laid by someone you don't know probably get your money stolen yes, I think that's a good time," Mira said still feeling the psychotic rage in her, but waiting patiently for it to irrupt. Julio came his hair swaying carelessly down in a boyish manner.
Mira's cell rang "Could you to excuse me for a moment." Mira went to the ladies room "Yo," Mira answered.
"Hey! It's me Dee! Girl Hey I got us a V.I.P spot at The Hop. Oh man! It's Build your own bikini contest tonight! Wanna come it I can pick you up at nine fitty seven," D’Andre said hyper about his struck of luck.
"Dee, I can't right now I need to sleep remember? Tomorrow back to work," Mira reminded him.
"Oh, well boo your loss anyway, hopefully I'll get me some bootay! Tonight!" D’Andre shouted out.
Mira laughed, “Yeah, right bye..” then turned off her cell phone, tucking it in her pocket, she walk out. Seeing them both, Lupe and Julio talking to each other. Lupe laugh lightly and Julio with a smooth demeanor. Mira imagined being at the table them laughing, she clutching the knife till her knuckles were white, and stabbing Lupe to a bloody mess. She snapped out of it, how could she imagine that? Her friend, they been through a lot think and thin, why should she let some jerk ruin it for her and Lupe, but then again that jerk was handsome and had a very magnetic charm.
"Hey! Mira! Come over here," Lupe said and signaled Mira to come over to the table. Mira signaled that she was leaving by waving good-bye and smiling. Her apartment wasn't far from the restaurant it was actually two streets over. She walked until she reached the building. Her place of residence was a small part of east L.A. that wasn't run down by the gangsters. Luckily a police prescient was there so it made it impossible and a risk for street pharmacists to do their work there. She entered her apartment locked the door and plopped and the couch and turned on only to be greeted by meaning less commercials.
"Where the hell is it," Mira said out loud looking for something until she felt the object that she was looking for. "Why want a man when you have sweet calorie fattening chocolate." She took out the chocolate covered peanut butter wafer popped it into her mouth and saw a news commercial:
"It has been a week since the G corporation has had mysterious explosions in both Nepal and Nebraska tonight we we'll have live coverage at 11..."
"Bah," she turned off the TV headed to her room changed into her pajamas and started to decide what should she wear tomorrow for work "Hmmm Smurfs shirt with jeans? Or blouse over a tank top with skirt," she thought for a second, "Smurfs shirt with jeans." She finally decided, but she was kidding herself of course she was going to wear the blouse with the skirt, she couldn’t go to work like if she was going to an arcade. Buckled with depression and anger she went to sleep.

The alarm clock went off she slammed the snooze button. Five minutes later there was a blast of music.
"I wanna rock and roll all night!!! And party every day!!! I wanna..."
Mira slammed the snooze button again and this time she got up. Took a quick shower tied her hair with a hair with bangs sticking out on her forehead brushed her teeth. Got in her car she was still angry about the incident back at the restaurant. She turned on the radio to keep her mind off it while she was driving.
"Aw, shit man my head hurts like a bitch," D’Andre complained, taking two aspirin.
"Shut up! I can't believe you didn't invite me to the hottest club in L.A.," Lupe hissed clutching her coffee cup and drinking it.  “Who cares they don’t let no ho’s in any way, got damn my headache, ah shit,” D'Andre held his forehead.  Lupe was about to say something.
"In my opinion you should drink a glass of water after you drink some beer it keeps you from getting dehydrated the morning after," Mira came in walking in with some coffee and a doughnut courtesy from the vending machines at the break room.
"Hey, boo what's up somethin' wrong," Dee said looking at her.
"Naw, nothing," Mira said taking a bite out of the sprinkled doughnut.
"See nothing's wrong with her," Lupe sitting down at her desk, finishing some long ago paperwork.
"Yes, there is just look at her eyes, ain't got that spark that they usually do," D’Andre was looking at Mira. Mira was also at her desk trying to avoid looking at him he had these weird dark eyes that were warm and comforting she could always trust him instead Lupe. With Lupe there was this weird vibe she didn't like at all she was a good friend overall but something else lingered.
"D’Andre, Lupe, Mira in here now," Byron said. The three of them groaned and went in there were a screen projector running and three files on the table. "Take your pick there all the same," Byron said sitting down. The three did the same with the exception of Lupe slouching down and got out a stick of winter fresh and started to chew on it. They all knew this annoyed Byron. He ignored her and started. "Well, I must I hope you all enjoyed your little two week vacation," Byron said cheerfully, "Now, then on to business shall we?"

"Yay," the three agents said in a flat tone.
"Happy campers now are we?” Byron smirked and went on, “We've gotten a very surprising news bulletin lately people one of our best friends is back his name Kazuya Mishima former head of the Mishima Financial Empire,” Byron showed a picture of Kazuya at an airport, “has been resurrected by the G corporation, a corporation making the latest break throughs in science lately, you’ve all seen it on the news,” He looked at the three, they gave nods of acknowledgement. “The last time we heard of him was that he was thrown off a volcano by Heihachi Mishima in the second King of Iron Fist tournament, apparently in the first tournament Heihachi got a taste of his own medicine, you all know about Kazuya’s scar,” they nodded again, Byron showed picture of Heihachi Mishima, “And in the 3rd tournament the grandson of Heihachi Mishima turns up missing, and is still unsolved according to Japanese officials. Now we know the fourth time the tournament has been presented..." Lupe suddenly interrupted Byron.
"So what’s all of this have to do with the us?" Lupe asked chewing her gum like a cow chewing tasty cud.
“I'll get to that in a minute and sit up you look like a turd going down the toilet, stop chewing your gum like a camel, and the next time I catch you with gum, I’ll have your pay suspended for a month understand?" Byron said D’Andre and Mira we're giggling. Lupe just stuck her tongue out and sat up spit her gum strait to the wastebasket. "To start out with Heihachi and Kazuya are real big time bad assess they have crimes up the Yin Yang."
"What you three need to do is to head to Japan where the tournament is going to be held check on them, something bad has always comes out of these tournaments. See what's up, if you see anything suspicious check on it, but be discreet. Now D’Andre, Lupe you two are going to pose as a tourist couple in the hotel that the fighters are going to stay and to check on Mira's progress. Mira, you're a participant I already have you entered in it. Like always, Lupe and D’Andre will in charge of the surveillance equipment and to provide anything that you need. So pack your bags and get some sleep because you're going to Tokyo, Japan tomorrow. Be at the airport at 9:00 a.m. you'll have someone guide you to the jet where the surveillance equipment will be. Just bring clothing that will last you two weeks, and I almost forgot Mira your profile,” he handed Mira the profile, “And to top things off have a nice day," Byron finished and left the room, closing the door.

"Oh great, now I got to feed on sushi for like what? Two weeks," D’Andre grunted out.
"They have fast food over there. Dumb ass," Lupe shot at him. "Anyway, so Mira what are you going to do today besides pray that you don't get your ass kicked by some big time martial artist?"
"Well, Lupe first I'm not going to get my ass kicked, second that's if I let him or her kick my ass, third I'm going to start packing as soon as I get home, and by the way what are you going to do wait, I can imagine have on romantic night with Julio that waiter at the restaurant we usually go to," Mira looked at with a cold stare Lupe, Lupe knew that Mira had a crush on Julio.
"What? Well..Um," Lupe knew she was cornered she hated when she got nailed.
"No."
"Oh, really then explain my this, how come I went in the back of the restaurant to see where the hell you were! Seeing you with Julio like dogs in heat making out!" Mira jumped up and pointed at Lupe accusingly.
"All right! I've been going out with him for two weeks I couldn't help it! He's asked me out! No pude rechazarlo! (I couldn't refuse him)" Lupe confessed. She cracked. She knew she cracked.
"Hey I thought you two said no speaking Spanish in front of me!" D’Andre shouted.
Mira and Lupe looked at him "SHUT UP!"
"I can't believe you! You didn't even give me a chance! How could you? The next I need to know was that he was in your pants!" Mira was furious and saw the Lupe was starring at the floor with shame. "Oh my god! You did it with him! After you promised me other not to flirt or go out with him because I liked him!"
Mira wanted so bad to lunge at Lupe and strangle her. "Mira! I haven't had a any for three months, well now I do, but at least I take a chances unlike you Miss I can't get a man because I'm too afraid to commit!" Lupe shot back her there was a sudden eerie silence.
"At least I didn't sleep with half of the world you loose bitch!" Mira snapped.
"Oh no you didn't! You wanna start something cuz if you do I'll finish for you," Lupe putting her fists up.
"All right then bitch! Bring it on!" Mira got into a fighting stance.
"Calm down! Both of you! Ain't no need to be fightin' over a man," D’Andre started to back them up away from each other. "Now Lupe you should of respected Mira and not gone out with Julio. You'd should of first of consulted Mira about this, and Mira no need to call Lupe loose, but stick with bitch."
"Shut up! At least I don't have to pay for sex," Lupe snapped at him. Mira busted out laughing. Lupe smiled "I know its funny because it's true." Mira was laughing harder then she calm down.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't be even like this, even if it does hurt me a lot, and if you want to be with him. And if it makes you happy, then I should be happy," Mira gave a hug to Lupe the feeling of rage now replaced with regret.
"It's okay, well I got to back to my house I gotta to get to packin' for tomorrow, bye." Lupe headed out the room as so did Mira and D’Andre.
After finishing some minor things at the agency she came back to her apartment grabbed a suitcase from under her bed and started packing the clothes she was going to wear she pondering ‘How come he chose her instead of me? I'm not fat. I don't dress explicitly. Jeez when am I going to learn to stop having my head in the clouds? I'm twenty-one I have a long way to go I shouldn't be crazy about some guy. I should focus now I'm on assignment now I can't be foolin' around, and besides why the hell should I even care. It's not like I need someone, but then again it would be nice too. I'm so stupid.
I can never go out with anyone! And even if I did it would end up just like all my other relationships first they say it's oh your so amazing your so pretty, then so you're we're not going to go out tonight, you know what! I'm sick and tired of always being blown off are you cheating on me?! And then argument rolls on and on because of my damn work. Maybe I should quit. Nah, I shouldn't with the money that they pay me and I have a nice apartment and I can't think of being anything else. Maybe, I should be a psychic I'm pretty good at guessing stuff. Shish! That'll be the day!’ She sighed, ‘Damn, two weeks seems so little, before the vacation I had to go to Bosnia. Now Tokyo! It sucks so much to be working in a secret branch, can’t have no friends from the outside world, not even a fucking relationship. Like they say “For the good of the country”.’ “Bullshit,” she finally said out loud.

  It was the next day the all arrived and were greeted by a man named Dave. "Did you all bring your bags," He asked. They all answered him they all showed their passports in customs they all checked out and got on the jet bound for Tokyo. They arrived in Tokyo they heard the woman on the intercom announcing flights from L.A. where they came from, Brisbane, and San Francisco.
"I'm gonna go to the ladies room where every the hell it is Dee can you take care of my luggage," Lupe went off for a search of the ladies room.
"Well I'm starving so I'm gonna get some grub over there, can you take care of Lupe's luggage and mines," D’Andre went to the snack bar.
"Aight," Mira wander her eyes around the place she mostly saw business men talking on their cell phones or tapping away at there laptops waiting for there flight. Not, to mention all the tourists coming and going around the place. Her eyes stopped she saw a hooded man was staring at her deeply she started at him back the same way then, playfully stuck her tongue out and smiled at him. She saw small smile form around his lips. Mira giggled then an odd vibe struck her the feeling of being suffocated was presented.
"Mira you okay," D’Andre shook Mira, "You look sick want some of my burger?"
"No, no thanks," Mira got up still a little shaken, catching her breath.
"Man! I had to pay 3 dollas for this friggin' burger, man back in L.A.,” He was about to complaint but decided it would be pointless, “shit never mind, where's Lupe did she come back?" He was looking around and finished wolfing down his burger.
"No, but come on I know where to find her," Mira had the weird feeling every time she tired to look for someone she knew and always found them with the help of that weird feeling, she swung her duffle bag over her shoulder.
"Damn, Mira your walking like if you've been here," D’Andre was walking around with his luggage and Lupe's.
"Nope, just using my intuition, gut feeling you know,” She smiled and spotted the restrooms, “Hey there's the restrooms I'll go in you stay here," Mira went in to see if Lupe was there. "Lupe ya there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, hold on," Lupe came out of the stall and started to wash her hands "Hey, dude you look a little pale you okay?" Lupe was getting concerned of her friend's health.
"I'm fine, come on girl let's go, been waitin' for ya," Mira tugging Lupe.
"All right then," Lupe followed Mira.
They exited the restroom and they saw D’Andre flirting with a Japanese woman. "Watch me," Lupe whispered to Mira and started to walk towards D’Andre's direction. "Excuse me why are you flirting with my husband?!" Lupe demanded.
"You said you were a widower!" the woman turned at D’Andre with a mild accent, "You self-centered pig!" she stormed away.
"Nah, baby it ain't even like that! ‘Ey! Come back! Damn it Lupe!" D’Andre snapped at Lupe.
She giggled and playfully hugged his waist and said "Hey, we’re newly weds remember?"
"Since were newlyweds you can help me with the luggage," D’Andre gave Lupe her luggage.
"Okay you two calm down, let's go you know what the dude on the plane said there's people waiting for us at the parking area," Mira started to head to the parking area, Lupe and D’Andre followed. "I'm sorry," Mira had accidentally bumped into someone it was that man she met earlier. He simply smiled at her and kept going on his way. ‘What a freaky feeling I got from him who is he?’ Mira but at the same time something intrigued her about him she stared at him until he disappear into the crowd.
"Hello! Earth to Mira, what you got a crush on that guy that bumped in to ya?" Lupe was waving her hand around Mira's face.
"Huh? What! No! It's just that he seemed so familiar that's all. You know how I am! I'm the man-repeller remember. Since when did I have a date huh?" Mira nearly snapped at the thought of that she always acted like an idiot when she liked a guy.
"Um," Lupe said thinking, "Hey there's the parking area."
A man came to Mira and shook her hand during the shake he gave her some keys "Take good care of it, the agency has been on everyone's ass about this issue the car is the mustang in front of you good luck don't get your ass kicked," He left.
‘Must have been one of the agents stationed here,’ she thought she started the car she had been to China and the streets of Japan where no different accept for the different writings and she had a GPS with her so she knew where to reach the hotel she started to car she noticed someone dressed as a pimp whispering something to D’Andre probably the same thing that the man told her. She started to drive the streets were crowded she still saw a few tourist in tour buses, but she saw mostly what Lupe called "rice eaters" its was all in good humor about that. It was weird driving on the opposite side of the road but she'd have to get used to it. Feeling a little home sick she reached for her bag that was in the back of her seat took out her CD and started to listen to Faith Evans - The Good Life She started to feel really nostalgic.
"Oh well," she thought driving her way through traffic "I'll be back in Cali soon this as this tournament is over, besides it'll last two weeks. Tops. What could possibly happen its just a tournament. What could possibly happen?"