Ying-mei stood quietly at the back of the room, listening to everything that Ms. Bianco said. She was painfully aware of the fact that she was looked, well, [i]different[/i] from everybody else who was gathered for the briefing. She was used to this, of course, having spent many years in American universities and cities, but still-the very nature of what she was here for, the very nature of what she was about to do...it made everything just twenty times worse.

Ying-mei herself had known very little about the Nazis before being brought to this base. She knew what the Americans were saying about them, yes, but she had been more concerned about the Japanese invading her home country. Ying-mei was thankful that her family had fled to safety in the southern portion of China, and she could only hope that the war with the Japanese ended soon. 

In England, Ying-mei had heard plenty about the Nazis-how they invaded Poland and killed thousands of people, how now they had taken control of France and many eastern European countries, and even how they were targeting specific groups of people (specifically, the Jewish). That thought did not sit well with Ying-mei. She had a Jewish classmate in America whom Ying-mei was extremely fond of. Her classmate had expressed worry for her family in Luxembourg in the past, and Ying-mei had done her best to help, relating it to how [i]her[/i] family was living in a China overrun with Japanese soldiers, but still...the reality of the situation hadn't fully hit Ying-mei until she was introduced to the Westminster League of Extraordinary Individuals. 

Ms. Bianco continued her speech, adding a short note at the end about how backing out was an option. Ying-mei wavered. [i]Ai ya, what am I doing here? I am no soldier, nor am I...a spy, if you will. I am the daughter of a Chinese politician and I am fated to marry a powerful man with a splendid wedding and I will bear him many children. How am I to fight Nazis with healing?[/i] Ying-mei was uncertain if that was what she truly wanted in life, but what choice did she have if she wanted to honor her parents?

Yet there was no going back now. Ying-mei did not know how the rest of her family would take the news of her unexpected supernatural abilities, nor if the news had spread to other influential families in China (most likely not, due to the war, but one could never know), and once the news [i]did[/i] get out-these things always did-Ying-mei knew that there would be no marriage to a powerful businessman or politician for her, no matter how large the dowry. [i]People will say that I am cursed, that I am an abomination. No, this is the only path I have.[/i]

So Ying-mei kept quiet like she always did and followed the rest of the group outside to the trucks. She, along with the other "special" individuals, were about to be air-dropped into France. They were all wearing rather loose trousers and plain shirts that were commonplace in Western fashion. Ying-mei would have preferred something from home, but unfortunately, a traditional [i]qipao[/i] in the middle of occupied France would have been much too conspicuous. At least she had been allowed to bring her makeup-Ying-mei had never been one to wear an excessive amount, but she was well-versed in lipsticks and blushes and the sort, having been raised in a wealthy political family in Shanghai.

Ying-mei took a good look around at the group as they walked. Their leader-Maria Bianco-had a porcelain complexion, straight, dark hair, and blue eyes. She looked to be a fairly young woman; not as young as Ying-mei herself, but not even close to middle-aged, either. There was a blonde, bespectacled young man who couldn't have been older than twenty, and another young man who looked a bit older that had black hair. 

The only person smaller than Ying-mei was a brown-haired girl who looked to be...fourteen? Fifteen? Her height made her look like a child, though her facial features indicated that she was older than ten or eleven. Last but not least, there was a man about Ying-mei's age who had dark hair and the largest sideburns that Ying-mei had ever seen. He seemed to be particularly nervous, stammering out a question to Ms. Bianco. The black-haired man moved to reassure him, which seemed to help a little bit.

Ying-mei settled down on a wooden bench across from the diminutive brunette and the tall, blonde-haired man. If Ying-mei had to be perfectly truthful with herself, she had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. She could heal, yes, and she supposed that was all that was expected of her, but how the [i]hell[/i] was she supposed to walk around occupied France without being noticed? She was Chinese, for Pete's sake. Her features alone made her stick out like a sore thumb. 

[i]Well, I suppose that there's no turning back now. I must hope that we shall discover a solution in the near future,[/i] thought Ying-mei pensively. 

Ying-mei was startled when the petite young woman across from her put a hand over her mouth as if she was trying to stifle a giggle. [i]What could possibly be so funny?[/i] Ying-mei wondered. Her thoughts were cut short as she watched the blonde young man she was sitting next to begin to talk to her. Ying-mei turned away, letting them converse, and took a closer look at her surroundings. Hopefully being air-dropped into France wouldn't be too terribly frightening.