Part 4: Connections From the Past
"A Shaolin priest?" Alfred asked. Before he could get more information Bruce cried out in pain, again. "What is happening to him?"
"The poison is making its way through his system. For now, it is causing the spasms. It will begin to eat through the muscle tissue and then the organs. I must find the cure before the poison reaches his heart and destroys him."
"You said you need herbs," Alfred started.
"The herbs I need I must gather myself. They are rare and only found in wooded areas."
"Well, we have plenty of woods around Wayne Manor."
"I shall return."
"What did you say your name was, sir? Alfred inquired.
"Caine."
Alfred watched the man move, faster than he expected. He turned to his charge and in a quiet voice asked. "Who is this man, Master Bruce? What is he to you? And why have I not known about him until now?"
Kwai Chang Caine swiftly left Bruce Wayne's side and in the company of Alfred Pennyworth. He knew the man from Bruce's description, a man who seemed ageless. There was something about Alfred Pennyworth that even Bruce Wayne didn't know, that Kwai Chang Caine could sense, but it wasn't his place to reveal it. Some day, Alfred would have to tell Bruce Wayne, but for now it was up to Kwai Chang Caine to save his former student and to find those responsible for what they did.
Caine thought on the moment when he sensed the pain of the man who wore the mask of the bat. He had not known the identity of the person until he saw him in that bat cave. He had come to Gotham's Chinatown seeking solace from dreams of his son, and the great beam that fell on him and another child. Coming to Gotham he hoped to find someone to ease the pain of those memories, but Chinatown in Gotham wasn't the place he expected it to be. Crime and corruption ruled its streets, as well a group of Chinese gangs he heard only in whispers, Scorpion Clan. No one knew much about them, except their specialty was using various poisons, and the most deadliest known to man. Their trademark poison was one in which it would take days to kill, and Caine recognized it's symptoms immediately. It was the way his beloved wife looked before she died.
Caine could not help recall those agonizing days, how the poison contracted her muscles, sending spasms through her body. How each organ began to shut down, blood seeping through her skin, and finally mercilessly; her heart stopped ending her ordeal, and his. Caine protected their son from ever seeing the torture that racked his Mother's body. From the time the poison entered her system to the day of her death, it took five days. Kwai Chang Caine must find the antidote within the first 72 hours or lose Bruce Wayne forever.
Thoughts of Bruce Wayne came unbridled in his mind. He remembered meeting the tall chiseled featured young man when he was in his teens. Caine had been on the Berkley Campus. He had been practicing his kung fu forms. A crowd had started to gather, watching the impromptu demonstration. When he had finished, after the applause the crowd dispersed except for the young man, more boy than man, but something in the young man's eyes had caught Caine's attention as well.
"Can you teach me to do that?"
Caine turned toward the speaker, spying the young man.
"Why do you wish to learn?"
The young man looked like he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it. "So, I can protect myself and defend those who may be harmed."
Caine thought about what the young man said. "What was your first answer?"
The young man's face flushed, betraying his age, and something else.
"I thought as much," Caine gave a slight smile. He sensed the anger and deep pain hidden under the surface. The young man had gone through some sort of trauma, aging him beyond his years. Perhaps there was something he could teach this young man, patience being one thing. "Lesson number one," Caine suddenly moved with the swiftness of a crane striking with its beak to catch a passing fish. "Always be aware of your opponent at all times, and where he may strike." Caine opened his hand to reveal the fly that had landed on the young man's shoulder. The fly was still alive, it's legs caught between Caine's fingers. He released it back into the air. Caine was also impressed that the young man had not flinched, but kept a steady eye on him.
"My name's Bruce Wayne."
"I am Caine."
Caine observed that Bruce Wayne turned out to be a very quick study and an excellent student, learning everything that Caine could teach him about kung fu within three years. Bruce even saved Caine's life once. Caine was saddened when Bruce moved on, but by that time Kwai Chang Caine had a new wife and son. Both were gone, and Bruce Wayne needed his help. He prayed that it would be in time.
Continues with Part 5: Finding A Shaolin in a Hay Stack
