Before Yun opened his mouth to make his wish, the door burst open, startling him and everyone else in the room. Several men in black entered, each eager to show they were armed and ready to fire. Yun and Yang ran to their parents, clutching their knees. While Ivy bent over slightly to hold Yang's shoulders, Lee braced himself in a stance, allowing him to be a safe wall for Yun to hide behind.

"Mama, why are these men--?" Yang started.

Ivy placed a finger on Yang's lips. "Ssh."

"You're Lee, correct?" one of the men in black spoke, presumably the squad leader.

Lee recognised these on sight. His eyes grew wide. "You... you can't be...! You're from Blacksoul's gang. But how..."

"Nothing a little mass murder can't solve." grinned the leader. "You should be ashamed of yourself. First, you run away and take refuge in the town of our rivals, then you marry one of their members as well."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about!" Lee stammered. But the fear on his face and his stammering voice made it obvious. The men in black didn't even have to state that Lee was lying - the truth was right in front of them.

"Mama, what are they...?"

Ivy silenced Yang by placing a finger on his small lips. "Ssh! Don't speak, dear."

The man in black smirked. "It looks like you've spawned as well. Twins? How utterly darling. So, Lee, before you die, tell me - would your spawns be better suited for our clan or the clan of your dear wife?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about." Lee continued.

Yun looked around. What were these bad men talking about? He didn't understand either. He only understood that his daddy was very tense and scared. Daddy always told him that when someone was scared, they needed a hug. Mama was tense, too. Yang was over there with her, so he can take care of her. Yun gave his father a big hug. "It's okay, papa."

The Triad men burst out laughing. "Isn't that cute? Lee, a former Triad member himself, seeking refuge from a five year old!"

Lee flushed with embarassment. Angrily, he grit his teeth and swung his arm outwards, however making sure that he didn't hit Yun in the process. "Even though I don't know what you're talking about, tell us! Why are you here?"

"We're here to eliminate a traitor. A traitor who ran away from our clan and married a woman from our rival. Even ignorant fools such as yourself know what the punishment for trechery is - death."

Lee gently pushed Yun aside, then went into his fighting stance. "You'll never! I'll defend my family if I must!"

The gang leader smirked. "Isn't it a bit late for that?"

The moment he uttered his sentence, a faint smell of ash crept into the room. The other men in black opened the door and the windows to reveal crackling noises and black smoke. Fire. The house was on fire. The triads had set this up all along and while the one man kept Lee and his family occupied, the others were sent to burn down the house. Yun and Yang didn't understand that complication, however. All they knew was that their house was on fire and these bad men meant trouble.

Red justice spread like wildfire throughout the house and soon, the once happily little family were nearly surrounded in fire with the triads outside of the wall.

"Goodbye, Lee." the leader smirked and left with the others.

The glames roared. Ivy clutched onto Yang as Yun continued to hold his father, sobbing loudly.

"We have to get Yun and Yang out of here as soon as possible!" Ivy cried amid the loud blaze.

But Lee didn't hear his wife's pleas. At that time, he was terrified and the only person's safety he considered was his own. He showed his true cowardly colours as he shoved Yun away from him and tore off through the flames, screaming like a banshee.

He was gone.

Yun sat, agape and crying. His father pushed him away. His father threw him away just to save his own life. His father abandoned him! Yang looked at his brother and cried too, sensing the pain Yun was feeling, and was too young and simple-minded to not understand that this pain wasn't his own. Instinctively, Yun ran towards his mother but she, too, pushed them away.

"Yun... Yang... you must leave this place." Ivy gasped through clenched teeth. Both brothers failed to notice that her foot was caught under a burning, heavy plank of wood. "Please, Yun... Please, Yang... please... I will be there to protect you, always... my wonderful sons."

"Mama...?" Yang started before he was interrupted by another burning plank. Only this time, it was a piece of wood even bigger than the one on his mother's foot. And this time, it claimed their mother's life. The twin brothers stood, agape, as they witnessed their mother, crushed, under the immense weight. Only her hand reached out to perhaps touch her boys' faces one last time, but it, too, faded into ash.

The music from her delicate box faded into the flames.

"Mama..." Now it was Yang's turn to feel the same pain Yun did earlier - the pain of losing his favourite parent.

He would have cried more until the brothers saw that the building was collapsing beyond repair and nearly beyond escape. There was nowhere left to hide. By instinct, the brothers turned tail and fled their once home. Fled the only place they knew. Fled the memory of their parents' betrayal and death. Fled for their own safety.

"Aah!" little Yang slid on a small puddle and fell over. He quickly got to his feet and immediately began to cry, but Yun held onto Yang's shoulders.

"It's okay, Yang! Don't cry, you're going to be okay..."

"It's not okay!" Yang snapped. "Mommy's gone... she's not gonna come back... and daddy's gone, too. Our house is gone, everything is gone! We're gonna be gone too, just like mommy and daddy!" With that, he promptly sobbed again.

Yun wrapped his arms around Yang. "Don't say that, Yang. I'm still here, aren't I? I'm still here."

For the first time in his life, Yang stopped crying to listen to someone, and of all people, it was his elder brother. "Yun..."

"I know things look bad now, but they'll be okay! We're together, right? We have to find some place to stay. It will be all right. C'mon, Yang, just because mommy and daddy are dead doesn't mean we have to be."

The elder twin lead his little brother into an alleyway. The streets were damp but at least Yun and Yang found some boxes to create a makeshift shelter. In the heavy downpour now turning into a thunderstorm, Yang hugged himself, shivering from the cold. Yun, too, was just as cold but he continued to hold his brother protectively, hoping the younger brother's newfound warmth would warm him up as well.

Yang wimpered still, but at least he wasn't crying loudly. Yun watched him sadly. Poor little brother, looking all alone in the world with no one there. But someone was there. Yun was there! 'I will always be here for you, Yang.' he resolved in his mind.

Then, Yun remembered his birthday wish. He hadn't made a wish yet! Now was a good a time as any. He closed his eyes in prayer, hoping some higher power up there could hear his pleas.

'I wish to be strong, so I can protect my brother forever and ever. I don't want to leave Yang behind... I want him to know that there's always going to be someone there for him... and that someone is going to be me.'

Business continued to boom at Wong's Garden. Despite the fact that restaurants laid beside restaurants in the small downtown village, restaurants were always busy, especially when the food was good. Yang, now seven years old, worked at the back as a chef while Yun worked as an errand boy of sorts. In picky-picky North America, this would be considered Child Labor. However, in the small village, children worked for a living all the time in family businesses. Besides, the brothers didn't complain. Yang was slowly but surely becoming a great cook while Yun's friendly manner attracted customers from miles away, despite his age.

One fateful day, Yun was waiting on tables at one end of the restaurant when he noticed some pecularly-dressed men sitting at a corner booth. They were dressed in black suits. He recognised the uniform but from where he couldn't remember. Still, they gave him the creeps. Should such wary men be even allowed in the restaurant? Yun trotted over to his uncle, who was speaking on the phone, and tugged on the taller man's pants leg.

"Excuse me, uncle..."

Yun's uncle mouthed, "Just a minute, I'm on the phone," to the little boy. "Right, right. Look, I'm busy now but I'll call you back immediately, okay?" He hung up the phone. "What is it, Yun?"

"Who are those men?" Yun asked, pointing to the men in black.

"Those...?" his uncle paused as if frantically searching for what to tell a seven year old. He finally came up with, "They're just customers. We get lots of fancy visitors. It's nothing uncommon."

"Okay..." Yun settled with that but wasn't satisfied with his uncle's answer. He decided to return to the kitchen to see if there were any new dishes ready to serve.

In the kitchen, the cooks worked busily away. Yang was one of them, standing atop a stool and frying what appeared to be fried rice. Various Dim Sum dishes steamed over another pot on the stove. He was so busy working, in fact, that above the stirring, the ingredients he had to throw in, the roar of the fire and of the overhead fan, he neglected to see or hear his brother enter until Yun screamed, "YANG! EARTH TO YANG! I'M TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!"

The younger brother nearly fell off his stool. His eyes wide open and clutching his heart, he turned to Yun who was standing to his left. "You scared me!"

"Sorry, Yang. I just wanted to tell you that there's some strange-looking men outside."

"Strange-looking men?" Yang repeated. "What do they look like?"

"They're all wearing black suits and they lean over when they're talking. I think they're whispering. Maybe they're telling each other some secrets nobody else wants to hear..."

Yang rolled his eyes. "You've just seen too many movies."

"You're one to talk!" Yun retorted. "Anyway, I'm going to talk to them. Are there any dishes they ordered that I can bring to them?"

Yang paused, then shook his head. "Not that I know of. They received everything that they've ordered."

The younger brother had his great memory even back then, but Yun was determined not to give up. "C'mon, there has to be something! Wait, Yang, give me the fried rice you're making and I'll give it to them and say it's free."

Not even Yun's charming grin fazed Yang. It rarely worked in the future and it rarely worked in the past. "But brother! We'll get in trouble! What will uncle say? He'll yell at me that I gave some customers food for free because my brother was curious to see what kind of strange men they really are..."

"Oh, C'MON, Yang! I'll talk to uncle if you get in trouble. PLEASE?"

However, coaxing always worked on the younger brother. Eventually. Combined with the puppy eyes. "All right," Yang sighed finally and scooped the fried rice in a large bowl. He handed it to Yun's eager arms. "Here you go, but you're gonna get in trouble!"

"I always do!" Yun called back cheerfully and ran out the swinging double doors.

Yun strode, as if he was carrying just another order to just ordinary customers, to the men in black, who immediately ceased their jabbering upon the little boy's arrival. "Here you go! One order of Yeung Chow Fried Rice piping hot and ready to serve!"

The man in black sitting to Yun's left eyed him warily. "We didn't order any fried rice." he snarled.

"I know you didn't!" Yun smiled with not even one glimpse of a startled look between his trail of conversation. "You're such special customers that we decided to give you a special meal on the house. Eat up! It's my brother's cooking so you're gonna love it anyway."

Both men first sniffed the food, then tested it to see if it was poisoned or something. After running through several diagnostics - which involved sampling a few individual grains of rice - they both decided that the food was safe to eat. Then, they did something that Yun didn't expect them to do - they chowed down like starving pigs.

Yun laughed nervously and stammered, "I'm glad you like. My brother's cooking is the greatest, isn't it? Next to mine, of course, but he's still the --"

"How'd you know about us, kid?" the man on Yun's right interrupted.

"Know about what?" Yun asked innocently.

"I think you know too much." the man on the right reached inside his coat to pull out an object when he was stopped by the man sitting beside him.

"Calm yourself," the third spoke. Unlike the other two, his voice was calm, however, commanding. He gently pushed the hitman backwards so Yun had a full glimpse of this third stranger. Unlike the other two, he wasn't wearing dark shades. Instead, he was very clean with neatly combed black hair and on his left hand he sported a gold ring. "So, my young lad, what is your name?"

"My name?" Yun repeated. "I'm the one and only Yun Lee! Master of the restaurant! -- when uncle isn't around."

The neatly dressed man smiled. Was this a smile to humor the young boy or one of interest? Whatever, kids didn't know how to judge the difference. They only knew that a wary look is a wary look. "Yun Lee... isn't it... and you say you have a brother..." He rested his head on his hands, still continuing to smile at Yun. "So tell me, Yun, what do you think of this town?"

Yun blinked. "What do you mean by 'what do I think of this town'?" he repeated. Before the man replied to him, the young boy answered his own question. "I think this town is great! I love it very much! Even if our parents died when we were little - " by 'our', Yun obviously meant him and Yang, "I'll still protect this town with my life! Even though nothing happens and I don't know what I can do to protect it... I'll... I'll do something, that's for sure!"

"Really... anything?" the neatly dressed man's smile became even more interested. Yun tried his best not to show that he was becoming uneasy under that smile. "If you're willing to do anything for me, how about you do me a favor?"

"What sort of favor?" Yun asked curiously before he stopped himself. "Uncle told me not to trust any strangers! Even men dressed in suits!"

The cleanly dressed man chuckled. "I can assure you, young one, that you are perfectly safe. If you do a favour for me then I do one for you as well. I promise to you that I will keep my word."

"What are you promising?"

"I promise that if you do me this one favour, I will provide you with all the means necessary to protect this town... you and your brother both, as I have a feeling that he's very close to you in your heart."

Yun didn't understand most of what that cleanly dressed man said, but he did understand the last part about his brother, and nodded. "He is! Yang's the most important person to me ever! I'd do anything to protect him."

"Really..."

"So let me get this straight, mister," Yun folded his arms. "You're saying that if I do something for you, you'll help me and my brother to protect the town, right? Does that mean you're going to take us away from our home if we agree? And how do I know you're not going to double-cross us?"

The cleanly dressed man chuckled at Yun saying the words 'double-cross', thinking the younger boy is just repeating terminology from an old gangster movie. "If you agree, we won't take you and your brother away from this restaurant. As a matter of fact, you can stay here and then help protect the town in your spare time or whenever you're needed. We promise to help you whenever you need it. As for a promise that I don't intend to double-cross you..."

He gestured for the hitman beside him for something or the other, speaking quietly and quickly. The hitman looked surprised for a minute but obeyed, pulling out his gun from inside his jacket and handing it to the young boy. Yun nearly dropped the pistol in fear of what the dark metallic object was and what it represented, but managed to catch it, abeit holding the gun in his hands as if it was going to explode at any second.

"The deal is, I want you to do something for me within three days, then meet me at the end of those three days at the back alley behind your restaurant. If you ever think I will double-cross you, or if I will, then you may end my life with that gun."

"In... in other words..." Yun stammered, "if you do something bad to me, you want me to kill you...?"

"That's right."

"I can't do that! Killing is wrong!" Yun jerked his arms upwards so the gun flew slightly in the air and landed on the table with a semi-loud thud. "I guess you're not kidding, are you, mister? Then you have a deal. What do you want me to do?"

"Wah! Yang! Get that chicken! It's getting out of my reach!"

"I'm trying, big brother, I'm trying my best!"

Bystanders who helped fill the crowded streets dodged or moved aside as they were nearly run over by a runaway chicken and twin boys trying frantically to catch it. Yang was ahead but still wasn't fast enough to catch the chicken while Yun was a few inches behind his brother's heels. They both managed to weasel their way out of the restaurant on the third day by telling their uncle that they were going to buy some groceries, but of course, they were actually going to fulfill their end of the bargain that the cleanly dressed man made three days ago. Yang was wary at first, of course, but Yun talked him into it.

The chicken wasn't a runaway at first but once the twins had bought it, it flew right out of Yun's arms and fled for its life. Neither brother combined had enough money to buy another chicken feather, let alone a whole chicken, so they resorted to chasing their first purchase down the street.

"Almost... got it..." Yang dove forward, arm outstretched. At the last minute, the chicken dodged out of the way, causing Yang to skid painfully into the pavement. He winced - he had scraped his arms, but Yun was there to help him up.

"Are you okay, Yang?" Yun asked, concerned.

Yang didn't cry, instead nodding slowly. "I'm sorry, brother... I missed..." He was panting heavily. Although Yang was a faster runner than Yun, the elder had much more endurance.

Yun grinned. "Don't worry! I got a plan. Listen to me..."

Meanwhile, the frantic chicken now slowed down. Confused nearby people merely moved out of the way when the live poultry passed by. But that brief moment of calmness immediately passed as the younger twin brother appeared from seemingly nowhere and dove at him. The chicken once slipped out of his reach and tore off.

"You won't get away this time!" Yang declared, chasing after the chicken.

Unfortunately, the chicken seemed to be making its getaway quite successfully, with Yang hot on its heels. Yang continued his chase, making sure the chiken was running straight ahead of him. Faster and faster they went until they moved out of the downtown area. The crowds became fewer in volume, however Yang had to think fast - he was quickly running out of steam. A few more blocks and he would definately collapse! But he had to make it, he just had to. Almost there...

To his right came a narrow alleyway. The chicken decided to make its getaway there.

"GOTCHA!" Yun cried, springing out from behind the alleyway and throwing a garbage can on top of the chicken, successfully capturing it. The poor poultry clucked and flailed its wings, banging noisily on the garbage can. Yun grinned and gave Yang a thumbs up. "Great job, Yang. I knew this was gonna work."

Yang couldn't hold himself up on his feet anymore. He heaved a big sigh and slumped to the ground. "I don't know if we should go through with this..."

"We have to!" Yun insisted. "I promised the man and uncle always says that breaking a promise is a very bad thing." He produced a butcher's knife from his jacket - obviously taken from their uncle's restaurant. "You don't have to follow me if you don't want to, Yang..."

"I want to! I want to be with you!"

"Okay." Yun's smile became broader when Yang replied. "All right, on a count of three, I'll raise the garbage can, you grab the chicken and I'll do the deed. 1... 2... 3..."

Yun raised the garbage can high over his head. The chicken took a few moments to realize it was free but those few moments were all Yang needed to grab the chicken in its arms. One glimpse of Yun raising the butcher's knife over his head was all the chicken needed to know it was in immediate danger.

How would it feel to die with that sense of danger?

Minutes later, the deed was done. Yun and Yang now sat in the back alley, staring at a glass full of blood. The now headless chicken had run its course of headless fury and lay perfectly still in Yun's old saviour of a garbage bin. Yun sat on one side, Yang sat directly across from his brother, and the glass of blood sat directly between them.

Even more minutes passed and the brothers weren't moving. The two boys found themselves staring at the glass. "You gonna do it?" Yun asked finally.

"Are you sure he asked you to drink chicken's blood?" Yang asked, shuddering a little.

"Yeah, that's what he asked us to do."

"I don't like this."

"Me either, but one of us has to drink first." It was clear that Yang wasn't making any notion of budging. "Then I will. On a count of three - 1... 2... 3..."

Very quickly, Yun grabbed the glass, closed his eyes very tightly and chugged exactly half of the glass' contents in one large gulp. After he was done, he slammed the glass down and immediately covered his mouth with his hands, trying not to throw up. Before any sense of hesitation captured Yang, the younger brother grabbed the glass and drank down the rest of the chicken's blood. He, too, felt a queasy feeling as the red liquid slid down his throat but he closed his eyes tightly and made a very humourous face. Soon, the beverage was digested in both brothers' systems to the point of no hurling.

"Bah... okay..." Yun breathed between gasps as if he was trying to speak without getting sick. "We did what that cleanly dressed man told us to." He checked his watch. "We have 10 minutes. We gotta meet him in the alley behind the restaurant and tell him."

Yang nodded. The two boys ran back towards the restaurant with newfound energy. Unknown to them, a man in black was watching their every movement from the moment Yun claimed the chicken's life. He rose from behind a wooden wall and pulled out his cell phone. Back then, they were rather large in size compared to today. "Boss, the twin brothers have drank the chicken's blood."

Yun and Yang arrived, breathless, in the alleyway behind their restaurant. No people were in sight except for that cleanly dressed man and two other henchmen. The cleanly-dressed man had been waiting for some time but no signs of impatience showed as peeved expressions was bad practice for businessmen. Once the twin brothers arrived, they collapsed to their knees.

"We... we did the job... we did what you asked us to..." Yun breathed.

The cleanly dressed man smiled. He knew that Yun was telling the truth from a recent call from one of his henchmen. "Excellent. I thank you for keeping your end of the bargain. Now it's my turn."

"What are you going to do to us?" Yang asked.