“Collapsed?  What collapsed stranger?” questioned Joonmyeon, rushing towards the window.  He glanced outside, noticing the blob of human splayed on the building’s front steps.  “Hui Qi, he’s still breathing!  We have to help him!”

“Ah ,” muttered Hui Qi as she complied with Joonmyeon’s nagging.  She navigated her way through the boxes, dragging Yixing behind her.  Joonmyeon was hot on their tail, anxiously fretting over the stranger collapsed in front of Mirage.  Intrigued with how the whole situation was unfolding, Chanyeol tagged along behind Joonmyeon.  The rest of the guild members dispersed, uninterested in the whole “collapsed stranger” fiasco occurring.

When the four emerged outside of their guild, Joonmyeon quickly ran to the stranger’s side and flipped him over so that more air could travel through his lungs and to allow easy breathing.  

Hui Qi leaned back on a column on their front porch and ordered, “Yixing, your first solo mission: diagnose the collapsed stranger,” pushing him down the stairs.  He quickly kneeled on the side opposite of Joonmyeon.  Yixing grabbed the stranger’s wrist and took his pulse, observing for any peculiarities.  After a couple of seconds, an impatient Hui Qi asked, “So?  Anything wrong?”

“Looks like he’s just out of breath.  His pulse is slowing down and his breaths are evening out.  He should be able to tell us who he is in a little bit,” replied Yixing, relaxing on the pavement as he waited for the stranger to recuperate.

As she waited for the stranger to essentially “revive,” she observed him.  The stranger had on black leopard shorts that stopped just above his knees, revealing thin, slightly hairy legs.  He wore a dark green tshirt filled with pictures of carnivorous plants and flowers.  A black sunhat fit snugly on his head, completing the “pseudo-vacay” look, as Hui Qi deemed it.  There was the possibility that he was a hobo, but she tossed that idea aside due to his fastidious and clean-cut look.  That could only mean…

One eye fluttered open, the pupil focusing on Joonmyeon’s concerned face.  Still huffing, he curtly asked Joonmyeon, “Hey you… is this… Mirage?”  

Recognizing the voice, a smile broke out on Hui Qi’s face as she replied, “Welcome, Chenchen.  I see you made it here in one piece.”

Snorting, he closed his eye and retorted, “Barely.  I’m just glad Grimsdell Square is a famous neighborhood.  Otherwise I’d wander around lost, even with the locals’ help.”

Chen sat up and scanned the outside of Mirage’s new guild.  “So this is where I’ll be living now huh?  Not too shabby.”

“What do you mean living here?” Joonmyeon questioned.  Surely Hui Qi hadn’t forced more people to join the guild against their will?  Oh he sure hoped not, Mirage’s criminal record was already substantially too lengthy for his liking.

Chen stood up, brushing the dirt off his leopard-print shorts as he approached Hui Qi, “Hey Mastermind, are you sure this brunette over here is guild material?  He seems kind of… you know…”  Chen leaned over to whisper not so discreetly in her ear, “stupid.”  He approached Joonmyeon with a smile that resembled the expression of a kindergarten teacher trying to warm up to her students... in short, it was patronizing.  “You see, kiddo, when I say ‘where I’ll be living,’ I mean just that.  This is where I will live from now on.  Need I spell it out any more?”

Joonmyeon stared slack jawed at what Chen had just said.  “How rude!  Hui Qi who is this man?”  He turned toward her with a pout and furrowed eyebrows.

“Well, I was going to save introductions for later, but might as well get started now I guess.  Guys, this is ChenChen.  Our newest recruit and roommate.  He’s an old time gaming buddy of mine.”  She gave Chen a firm pat on the back which he returned with a cheshire like grin.

“You guys can call me Chen.  I look forward to working with you in the future.”  Chen reached out a hand to give everyone a firm handshake in greeting.  “So… why don’t one of you show me around my new home?”  Yixing beckoned Chen over, offering to lead the tour through the guild.

Hui Qi picked up Chen’s bag and threw it to an unsuspecting Chanyeol.  “Hey Chan, bring his stuff in, will you?”  Hui Qi pivoted around, tuning out Chanyeol’s whines and protests as she followed Yixing and Chen.  Chanyeol trudged behind, lugging in the rest of Chen’s bags along with him.

As he observed the main foyer area, Chen whistled in amazement.  “Wow Mastermind, this is a pretty nice place you have.  Honestly I’m surprised.”  His eyes shifted around and landed on what seemed to be stacks of cardboard on cardboard.  Furrowing his brows in confusion, Chen questioned, “What’s with all the boxes though?”

“We’re actually in the process of moving in right now,” Hui Qi chuckled.  “There’s bound to be a ton of boxes around.”

His eyebrows raised at the sudden news.  Chen responded with a surprisingly serious voice, “You’ve got to be kidding me.  You don’t mean…?”

“That we’re new?  Yeah, what of it?  You’ll be our… ninth member now… I think.   We’re only 25 jobs away from becoming official,” Hui Qi nonchalantly informed.

Chen sunk to the floor in defeat, his head staring at the ground as his mind cracked.  “D-Did I just join a newbie guild!?  Wait no!  Even worse, not even a newbie guild, Mirage isn’t even official yet!?  Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t official?  I would’ve joined someplace better, someplace like, I don’t know.. Lost Souls?”

“Oh my.  Joonmyeon, Chanyeol, it might be best that we vacate the premises for a while.  We might want to get Sehun or… um… Tao down here… things might get ugly.”  Yixing hastened Joonmyeon and Chanyeol up the stairs to safety.

Hui Qi, on the other hand, was absurdly quiet.

That’s weird.  She should be going berserk by now… At least that’s what happened with me.  Yixing had taken safety at the top of the steps with Chanyeol seated behind him, Chen’s luggage abandoned in the living room.  He wanted to be nearby in case Chen suffered any injuries.  Joonmyeon had gone off to find one of the only two people who might’ve been able to calm Hui Qi down.  

“HAH!  Hahahaha!”  Hui Qi let out a maniacal laugh, startling everyone present.  Running a hand through her short hair, she glanced out the window and released a sigh.  “You know ChenChen… I had such high hopes for you.  I mean we get along so well.  You’re even smart enough to play Scrabble with me.”

She turned towards him, her expression grim.  “So why?  Why did you have to RUIN EVERYTHING?  You couldn’t keep your goddamn mouth shut.  You just had to have such high expectations?”

She paced around Chen, who was frozen in shock from her sudden outburst.  “I mean, why is it my fault that you didn’t know Mirage was official yet?  Did you ask?  NO!  And aren’t you supposed to be some computer genius?  It doesn’t take a ing genius to find out that Mirage isn’t registered yet.  Do your goddamn research ChenChen if you're so concerned.”

“And of all guilds.  You had to say that one.  You couldn’t have compared us to Chaos Legion or Scarlet Horde.  Nope.  You just had to say them.  Chen… it’s like you want me to kill you.”  Hui Qi’s expression was solemn now.  She looked truly disappointed.  “Alas, you will be missed my dear Scrabble buddy.  But what’s done is done.  Say goodbye everyone.”  She glanced up at Yixing in the peanut gallery.  She could make out Chanyeol whispering a soft “goodbye” in confusion.  Yixing’s eyes were nervously darting back and forth, no doubt trying to figure out a way to save his new guild mate's life.

Yixing leapt to his feet and cupped his hands around his mouth.  “Chen RUN!  RUN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!”

“W-what? What are y-you talking about… sh-she’s not going to actually k-kill me r-right?”  Chen’s teeth chattered in fear, causing him to stutter.

“JUST RUN!”

Chen attempted to bolt for the front door, the only thing on his mind: escape.  In an instant, Hui Qi grabbed him by the back of the collar and lifted him off the floor, preventing his departure.

She tsked.  “Uh uh uh ChenChen.  I wouldn’t do that if I were you.  Running just makes me angry.  And we both know… I will find you if you run.”

Chen’s entire body was shaking now.  “H-Hey Mastermind… I don’t really know what’s going on… But p-please… spare me!  You don’t want to do this right?  I mean it’s your friend here!  It’s dear ChenChen!”

“Sorry, but, as I said before.  What’s done is done.”  Hui Qi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She drew the arm still holding Chen back, and catapulted him into the living room wall with a resounding “CRACK.”  And that was the last seen of Chen…

A/N: Ey we're back after forever... haha please don't kill us (like we killed Chen).

Um... whoops?  That hiatus was totally just like two weeks... Also since we've been gone for so long I'd advise going back and re-reading (we've tweaked the chaps a bit too)!  Hope everyone has a Happy New Year and Happy Holidays!  We're trying to start off our year right... maybe?  >_<