Votive candles cast dancing shadows about the old Buddhist temple walls. A new decoration hung at the top of the staircase-a richly colored ceiling-to-floor tapestry depicting none other than curled dragon. Its eyes were aflame in a fiery readiness to strike. Both catered to an eerie atmosphere. It was carefully staged to further keep any visiting outsiders uncomfortable.

The men who waited in the foyer at the foot of the stairs were indeed uncomfortable. The air inside the temple was completely still. Not a single outside breeze came through. Hot and stuffy. They were fidgety; shifting in place. Wary looks were passed between them, unsure if they had been stood up or not.

From the top of the stairs, however, a shrouded figure appeared and took his time descending the steps. He was dressed as he was earlier: black, floor-sweeping trench coat, and black ankle- cinched cotton pants. He was shirtless, his bare chest just visible under the coat. His head was at an angle that reveled only the Black Tattoo curling around his left eye. Its body and tail consumed his skull, the base of his neck and all the way around to behind his right ear.

His stride was long and powerful, that of a thoroughbred. Muscles were visibly moving under his pant legs, as though the clothes were meant to barely contain him. When he took the final stop and his bare feet touched ground floor, he stopped, pausing for effect.

The silence continued to build to an unbearable level. The gathered group knew the reputation of the Black Dragon. Each was afraid to be the first to speak. They gave him plenty of room, quietly pleading and begging for this man to speak his piece. Cānglóng brought his head up carefully to level an even stare at each man. His lips pursed in what was the limit of his smiling capabilities.

"Gentlemen," his voice was clipped with accent and just above a whisper. Yet it carried to each attentive ear, "Welcome to our dǎ zhàng temple of Century City-the first of its kind outside of Hong Kong. Because of your financial patronage, we will bring the honor and tradition of the dǎ zhàng not only here..." He spread his arms wide, "But everywhere, as long as there are those who remember their heritage and embrace of the power of gung fu."

He lowered his arms. "Some of you have graciously allowed your homes to be a part of our growing enterprise. I am most grateful." A small bow of the head before he continued, " We have also found space and gracious support at the docks, the business district and the casinos of the South end of the city. With these temples of gung fu, we are well on our well to further expansion. As we speak, three fights are already in progress and I hear the stakes are quite high."

He sensed an inquiry forming from one of the patrons. A cool, appraising stare feel upon the man. "A question?"

The older gentleman cleared his throat and nodded hurriedly. "Yes. This space here," He began, looking to the ceiling of the old temple, "We can't possibly use it. It is too well known! Too many eyes will be on it. Especially with the Golden Lotus Cafe down the street. Young Jimmy Kee is back. He won't stand for anything like this in his own backyard! Besides," the man darted his eyes to the rest of the crowd and back the Black Dragon. "The boy and his family have the Green Hornet's favor!"

The Black Dragon considered this and seemed to glide his approach into the crowd of men. They parted quickly to let him through. He went to the front doors of the temple and mounted the set of steps before them. He turned dramatically, the shadows playing off his head and tattoo. The dragon appeared to move menacingly across his skull.

"This temple is ours. I have claimed it to hold the power of gung fu it deserves. Jimmy Kee is insignificant. The Green Hornet as well. As for his masked companion," he made a gesture of casual dismissal. "When the time is right, this temple will hold its single greatest battle: it won't see a lesser fight until then. I will take this gung fu man and break him. Without his partner, the Green Hornet is below even that of his namesake. I will squash him too. I am here to stay and I am playing for keeps! Gentleman, we will walk in this together. However," His eyed the gentleman who had questioned him, "I will be the master of this domain-walk with me but only behind me. That is what I ask and it will be done. Yes?"

Agreement rippled through the men. The Black Dragon bowed his head with anything but sincere humility. "I have two cars waiting to take you the dǎ zhàng tonight." His stretched his arm out in a beckoning motion to the darkened area under and to the right of the staircase.

The candles did not reach that space. It was untouchable and forbidden. Once the claw of the Black Dragon ensnared them into his lightless realm, there was no turning back. They went blindly, masking themselves in a willingness they did not wholly trust...

Kato dialed once more and sat back in his chair. The apartment was dark save for the single light in the kitchen, where he sat. He was aware of how many international calls he was making and how many had been wastes of money and time. He was running out of connections to call.

When they were connected, an older woman's voice answered shortly in annoyed Chinese. The time difference was 15 hours, give or take, between them. He'd probably caught her in the middle of her afternoon routine. He quickly introduced himself, fingers crossed she would remember him. At the mention of his name, all annoyance vanished. He smiled as the woman cried out his name and went on and on how long it had been. Was he doing well? What was he doing?...Kato answered her questions respectfully before changing the subject.

He asked her if she remembered Shīfu Yip Man: an older man usually dressed in plain white robes, he hair tied tightly in a knot on the top of his head. He would often come to collect Kato (a much younger Kato) from her little shop, which sat across from his school. It was where he would go to lick his wounds and get something to eat after an unsuccessful fight. Instead of facing his Master dutifully, as he should have done….

Of course she did! Had she heard anything about him of late? She remembered Shīfu Man had agreed to house an American student on a study abroad trip and recalled the student coming in with Shīfu when he was showing the young man around. But anything more recent, in the last six months? She paused, exactly at the same point of the conversations the others had paused at. Kato heard her say she hadn't seen him since then. Or heard anything-after all, Shīfu Man was very private. Yes...yes he was. He excused himself from the conversation, thanked her for her time and wished her well. He hung up and marked that number off his list.

The numbers he had from home had dwindled to those he wasn't sure were still active. And he didn't feel like calling anymore tonight. It was obvious some of them knew more but wouldn't say or maybe couldn't. He wondered if he really had to go back...and did he actually want to return?

He stood up and tossed his pencil on the pad he had been using to scratch the numbers off one by one. It was painfully thin of notes and answers. There wasn't a question of wanting to go back, he would have to. Man would have done as much for him, he was certain of that. It was just...he needed to finish this end of it first. Perhaps if he did, he would know more about the part Shīfu had played or had been forced to play. Kato did believed wholeheartedly that whatever had happened, Man would not have gone willingly.

Kato turned the lights on in the apartment to make it look as though he'd been busy all night-busier than he had been, at least. He looked to Britt's desk and remembered the nightly talks the two had shared at that desk: about their lives in past and what life would be like in the future; how they shaped the Green Hornet personae together there. Many nights, Kato had spent just listening to Britt bitterly mourn the loss of his father and spit out the hate he had for the men responsible; and then the promises they made about no secrets, ever. What they embarked on the moment the Green Hornet appeared on the criminal scene, they would do together. All the pain, all the triumphs, all the heartbreaks: everything: straight done the line.

Kato frowned at this memory of him and Britt shaking hands, laughing at what a surprise they had in store for the citizens of Century City. There was the pride of honesty and then there was protecting the life of a dear friend, even if it meant bruising that pride a little.

Kato heard Britt's key in the door. He eased himself against the edge of the desk. Britt was obviously tired, his greeting muted. He peeled himself free of his suit coat and went to the desk to toss it over the chair back. Kato was completely still as Britt moved around him, and this gave him pause. He dropped a careful look to his friend's features to see a hard calculating look in Kato's eyes Britt was not used to seeing. This was not the look Kato used as the Hornet's partner, either. It wasn't for effect. It was real.

Kato needed no prompting. He hugged himself and sighed. "I...I might have to go to Hong Kong."

Britt was taken aback. Not at all what he was expecting. "To China? Why?"

Kato's jaw was working, "My old Master is in trouble. Or at least I think he is. I have made some calls, we'll see."

"Trouble?" Britt sat on the opposite edge of the desk and folded his hands in his lap. "What kind of trouble? How do you know?"

"Jimmy Kee...I told him to stay with my Master to make his studies easier. He said some rough characters had been hanging around; that somebody named Lao Yin seemed to be running some kind of..." He momentarily paused to choose the exact word, "...racket in my master's school, but he didn't know how everything played out. He doesn't feel too good about it, though."

"I think your master could handle himself, couldn't he...?"

Kato twisted his mouth in silent agreement, " 'Course...depending on the trouble. He is old..." Kato abruptly shoved away from the edge to face Britt, agitated. "I don't know. I have to see how the calls I made here pan out. If ...if they don't," Kato swallowed and instantly calmed, "If they don't, I will have to go to him; find him, help him if I can. You understand?"

He could see Britt working over the idea of Kato leaving and he saw he didn't like it. Just as he'd said he would feel if Kato ever did decide to go.

"I understand. How long?"

"I don't know, honestly. That too depends on the trouble."

"I could go with you."

Kato expected this and replied softly, "There's little you could do over there..."

"Really? I have all my father's old connections, especially his Hong Kong contacts. Not to mention the Far East office of the Sentinel. That's quite a lot."

Now, Kato was annoyed by his friend's usual stubbornness, "That's not what I meant. These men, I know the type very well. They are dangerous and deadly. Their gung fu is meant only to kill. I would rather have you stay here. Out of trouble."

"And out of the way?" Britt added lightly. "If you don't think I can handle myself in that kind of fight, you can just tell me. I wouldn't be offended. I know I'm not as capable as you are..." Britt had meant that to be as equally light but he could tell immediately it hadn't gone over that way. "…I'm sorry."

Kato shook it off. He chose not to meet Britt's eye then. Looked to his feet to collect himself. "This is something I must do alone."

He quickly met his friend's piercing gaze. "If it were you, I would do the same. And you for me."

Britt didn't know but in the words Kato spoke, he spoke not only of his helping his master but of what he would do here. To the men of the dǎ zhàng and to this Black Dragon and was apologizing for it. He tried to make Britt see it was for his own good that Kato was leaving him out of this. The promises they made would only be good if both of them were alive-Kato would not let a fight that wasn't Britt's destroy that.

He saw Britt was studying him. Maybe he was reading between the lines and knew there was more that Kato was hiding. But then he stopped his search and nodded compliantly. "Okay. If you think this has to be done, you do what you have to do. But be careful, okay? And if you need anything, call me immediately. I'll be here or there, too." Britt clapped him on the shoulder and stood. "I'm going to take a shower and try to get some work done."

Kato saw him pause and turn halfway, "Looks like the Green Hornet's going to be out of commission awhile. I don't want that to be permanent. I can't stand being normal."

When Kato showed just a hint of his old cocky grin, Britt smiled and left him alone. Kato stood at the desk a while longer, wrestling himself over the lie he was going to be living. He had to believe it was right. It felt right and a whole lot better than the guilt he'd feel if he dragged Britt into something far too big for him to handle and got him killed for it.

When Britt exited the bathroom again, towel-drying his hair, Kato was gone. Most of the lights were off again, save for the light on his desk. The edges of his study seemed darker than usual. The air was heavier and the shadows cast by his desk light toyed with his senses. Britt felt a chill run across his bare back and physically shivered. He moved to his desk to touch the cool wood and was reassured by its familiarity. He looked out across his apartment, feeling as though this should be the last place he should feel spooked in. Britt shook his head and sighed, draping the towel around his neck. The things the dark can do to you if you let it...