Chapter 7: The Master Plan
Normally, Collective Man would dramatically siege Dr. Demonicus' inner sanctum. The superhero would come crashing through a stone wall or would rip the roof from the rook. He would announce himself. However, this superhero need not do so. You see, Collective Man is a compilation of identical quintuplets, five brothers. Brother Han solo has already infiltrated Dr. Demonicus' lab in the name of the Chinese Republic. He simply absorbs his siblings into himself, and the superhero is in Demonicus' very midst disguised as a technician. Intently, China's champ stares down foe Demonicus on the dais above him. The doctor does not seem to have revived the storied Centipor quite yet. So, the "technician" fiddles with a computer momentarily. Outside doors unlock, and his partner Shang-Chi enters the stronghold.
Through a camera feed, Collective Man sees the Master of Kung Fu run toward the salon above the laboratory. Shang-Chi lopes into a luxurious living room with fine furnishings such as contemporary couches, Kurdish carpets, cathedral windows, a freestanding fireplace, and an in-laid Jacuzzi. Of course, Matsu'o Tsurayaba had a Japanese furo installed in his living room. Simultaneously, Collective Man and Shang-Chi notice the beautiful woman bathing in the hot tub. Kuroko is a Pacific Overlord from Nagasaki.
Usually, Kuroko is a shadow warrior. She turns invisible. Then, she ambushes people. However, today, the typical situation is reversed. Shang-Chi silently slinks forward, and he knocks her out with a chop. Like a gentleman, Shang-Chi keeps the unconscious foe from drowning, and he places her aside—restrained—for safekeeping. She should remain out while the people's fighters go after Dr. Demonicus and his helpers. At his lab computer, Collective Man happily considers how much the Chinese rock.
In the lab, Dr. Demonicus' helper speaks. Mr. Crook says, "You know, the guards have alerted us that we have a commando and a metahuman invading the base at this key hour. Apparently, they are hellacious fighters capable of taking down capable of taking down Overlords and Demon-Soldiers. However, I am not worried." Toad is unworried.
"You are not worried? You should be," Dr. Demonicus is surprised, "Kuroko is our only other defense against the invaders, and she is relaxing in a bath. I was looking at her on a monitor but thirty seconds ago. In the tub, she did not have her communicator on her."
Crook is cool and collected, "I have handled super suckers often before. For example, I gutted and filleted of your big fish Irezumi."
Dr. Demonicus is further surprised. He knows that Mr. Crook appeared only recently on the island with his perfect credentials. AIM vouched for this man. Or, AIM apparently did. Dr. Demonicus knows that Irezumi has been missing the entire time that Crook has been here.
"Who are you? When did you ever meet Irezumi?" Dr. Demonicus probes. He does not need his important work interrupted at this time.
The giant centipede's flesh pulsates unnaturally, and its transformation begins in earnest. Toad answers, "I met Irezumi when I tortured your henchman for your location. Then, I killed him."
The mad genius deduces. "Mr. Toynbee, I presume," Dr. Demonicus reaches for a secret weapon stashed at the lab station. It ought to take Toad out totally.
However, someone kihaps loudly before Demonicus can discharge the gun in his hand. The stentorian shout is the echoing roar of a mighty warrior. Supervillains, collected cronies, and a Collective Man all startle. The Master of Kung Fu stands—fists clenched—staring from the top of the long stone staircase leading to the lab's depths. Shang-Chi gets Toad's full attention. Mr. Crook leaps the thirty-feet to the martial artist. Toad lands perfectly upon the uneven surface beneath Shang-Chi. He even sheds his Crook disguise in mid-air. Toad squats upon the stairs and stares back at Shang-Chi. He stands in the hero's way. This man will not muck-up this mutant's militant machinations.
Demonicus considers the two combatants briefly. Then, Dr. Demonicus returns to his wicked deeds. The madman will not let monkeys' wrenches mess his machinations to mutate and monster-make. Before his excited eyes, the giant centipede beautifully burgeons into something even greater. The expanding animal thrashes in agony. Its arching, ugly back is the Centipor rising! Dr. Demonicus is so close!
Ten yards away, the Master looks down steep stone steps upon glowering Toad. "I have read of you, Mortimer," Shang-Chi states, "MI-6 keeps tabs on all of Britain's terrorists, especially Magneto's men."
"And, the Brotherhood keeps tabs on all of our enemies," Toad returns, "But, unfortunately, you must not be much of one. I don't know you."
"I am Shang-Chi, to some the Master of Kung Fu," the fighter replies. He takes a fighting stance.
"You look more like a ma*******r to me. Let's fight, champ," the Toad King springs toward the challenger.
Toad tackles Shang-Chi with unanticipated force and knocks him from his stance. The super-agent slams into the brick wall behind him. Stunned, Shang-Chi struggles to stand. The tenacious English pugilist pummels the reeling Chinese pug with furious fists. "Instinctively", the dogged martial artist lashes back. His ingrained training kicks-in, and he begins automatically armblocking punches. Annoyed, Toad takes one step back. He will kick his foot right through Shang-Chi's f'n chest. The kick flies. Focusing, Shang-Chi spins aside at the last moment. Toad's foot cracks the solid masonry hard. He screams in pain at stubbing his leg.
"Settle down, Ray Park," a forceful palmstrike smashes Toad's teeth together. Normally, Shang-Chi does not crack jokes while cracking opponents.
Meanwhile, Collective Man makes a move. With the strength of five men, he plows through the remaining Demon-Soldiers like a bull. With the speed of five men, he chases away panicking technicians like a deer. He makes quick work of Demonicus' goons. The fodder cleared, China's super-soldier marches toward Dr. Demonicus, the supervillain.
"You might as well stop now," Dr. Demonicus warns the advancing hero, "You will not stop me from raising the Centipor. I plan ahead. I shall fire this transformation capsule into the sky where the mutation chamber will continue operating. Anon will the awesome Centipor stomp a hundred horrendous feet over Hong Kong!" Demonicus hammers his hand onto the launch button. Rockets roar resoundingly in the lab's large-but-contained space.
Chafed, Collective Man walks coolly up the spiral staircase to Demonicus. With a voice like five men, he conquers the tumult, "You are a fool, doctor. Neither your creature nor your plan could fly under the Chinese radar—to use the American colloquial. You see, Chinese intelligence spotted you immediately. Ours is a very well-surveilled country. We noticed you the moment that you contacted our illicit centipede dealers—and purchased an island used by previous madmen."
"You notice everything, do you?" Demonicus uses a microphone from his control panel. He will not be outvoiced.
"Yes," Collective Man is confident.
"No, you do not," Dr. Demonicus fires a secret weapon kept at his station. The monster-maker uses something essential to his trade.
Dr. Demonicus makes gargantuans, and he needs tranquilizer darts designed to drop giants. A needle pierces the Chinese superman's side. Collective Man might have to reincarnate after this one. He just got a doozy of a dose of drug. He falls face-first into steel steps. China's champion is a limp doll draped drooling on the stairs. Dr. Demonicus turns back to his control panel. He opens the roof hatch above him, and gorgeous sunlight illuminates his work. The creator prepares to launch the Centipor into glory. Behind him, the victor of the Shang-Chi vs. Toad fight bounds onto the dais.
A moment earlier, Toad and Shang-Chi battle. It is superior mutant, homo superior, versus masterful man, skilled homo sapiens. Toad gets his stool softened. Shang-Chi delivers a barrage of blows to the body and brain before throwing Toad over the side of the staircase. Remarkably resilient, Toad lands safely on his strong legs sixteen feet below, although one shank still smarts from kicking a wall. Sans hesitation, Shang-Chi follows and lands safely before the bemused blackguard.
"I am impressed that a humble human has such legs," Toad is impressed.
"Thank you," Shang-Chi humbly replies, "I do have a strong leg." The kung-fu fighter savagely sidekicks Toad into the high voltage box on the wall behind him. The shock shivers Toad several seconds—hair raised, eyes wide, teeth chattering—until he falls face-down at his foe's feet. Yes, Shang-Chi has a strong leg, indeed. Toad wheezes in defeat, so the victor figures that he can look to Dr. Demonicus. He looks. And, to his shock, he sees Collective Man drop like Toad just did. The warrior rushes bravely forward to confront the diabolical deviant.
Upon the dais, Shang-Chi tells Demonicus, "They call me the Master of Kung Fu." The rocket's din drown the man's words.
Unceremoniously, the Master backhands the devil mask right off of the fiend's face. He startles at the disfigured features beneath. The mutilated mouth and evil eyes smile at Shang-Chi's stunned expression. And, Dr. Demonicus raises the lethal tranq gun to the meddler's face. Most tranq guns are single-shot, and they would be empty presently. However, devious Dr. Demonicus has inventively given his a clip.
Shang-Chi beholds the loaded weapon. His deadly hands disarm Demonicus instantly, "They call me the Master of Kung Fu." He leg-sweeps his opponent and drops him on his ass.
On the floor, Dr. Demonicus hits a button on his belt. Suddenly, clamps dislodge from the Centipor's pod, and engines fire in earnest. Acerbic smoke spreads the area, and roiling fires threaten to consume all. The mutating monster shoots into the blue through the open hatch.
Incredibly, Toad leaps for the rocketing pod at the last instant. Amazingly, he catches it. His mutant abilities allow the crazy freak to actually adhere to the missile. Insane, Mortimer Toynbee shall ride the rocket to its apex in the high atmosphere before it plummets back down all the way into the sea's low depths.
His mask missing, Dr. Demonicus smiles a horrible smile into Shang-Chi's face. "I am the master here," Demonicus proclaims, "I, Dr. Demonicus, am legend. Over time, I have created life and have subjugated Godzilla, King of the Monsters. I have been the Overlord of Overlords upon firmament brought forth at my command. I have crushed giant warriors and iron men. And, now, I have bested Snake Marston, Scorpion, Lizard, Toad, and a humble centipede. None of them could top my grand designs. I am the master of monsters and men."
Shang-Chi punches the braggart flat, "I am the Master of Kung Fu."
The champion stands over his dropped opponent. Then, he chuckles a bit at the names that Demonicus just dropped. Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, Toad, and Centipede are characters in The 5 Deadly Venoms, a kung fu flick out of Hong Kong. This adventure's fancy connections are mildly amusing.
Over Shang-Chi's shoulder, Collective Man stands twenty-feet-tall. The martial artist notices him.
"You appear recuperated," Shang-Chi comments.
"Yes," Collective Man explains, "We the Collective Man are never alone in a struggle. We can gather the strength of ten thousand of our countrymen and use the aggregated chi to cleanse our body of any poison—such as enough opium to drop a kaiju."
Shang-Chi follows the Japanese reference, "Well, you stand tall like our Pacific Rim predecessors the Shogun Warriors, Dr. Demonicus' enemies." Dr. Douglas Birely moans a bit lying on the platform's cold aluminum. Dr. Demonicus is done.
The Centipor is not, however. In fact, the leviathan problem is just beginning again. Years ago, the Centipor terrorized the Aleutians. Briefly. Godzilla killed it abruptly after its birth. Now, like Godzilla, the Centipor hastens toward Hong Kong. Like Godzilla, its mighty legs roil the sea bottom beneath it. Like Godzilla, its behemothian body billows the brine above. On shore, scared citizens see the unnaturally tossed South China Sea swelling toward them. They gasp as the abomination's ambling begins agitating the ground. They scream as the beast's enormous antennae and redhead break the blue. Forthwith, the Centipor towers above the shore and its terrified occupants. Like panicked insects, people scatter before the cetacean centipede. Limp Toad lies upon its back like Ahab.
From up in the sky, Sunfire arrives like a superman between the fleeing citizens of this metropolis and the titan-o monster. Here to save the day, Sunfire ignites his vision with hellacious heat, and he outstretches his arms encased in white-hot plasma. Into the face of certain destruction, the superpowered samurai hurls his dragon's breath just as Japan's Godzilla once did at this Centipor's ancestor. And, the magnificent result is the same. There is a great flash, and the air sizzles. A bombastic bolt blasts the Centipor into oblivion. Toad falls through the burning, boiling bio-goop that was the beast, and the surf takes him far to sea. Toad had better hope that he is truly amphibious.
Sunfire pronounces, "The Centipor was a titanic monster. But, like the Titanic, the Centipor was fated to meet disaster on its first voyage—twice now. I have sunk the Centipor."
"Hey, I wanted to save the day," says a voice behind Sunfire.
Sunfire turns to see who it is. "You should have, Maj. Jonas," Sunfire answers Scorch, "What brings you to Hong Kong?"
"The United States intelligence community is the best in the world. We easily tracked Toad to southern China," the chagrined officer gloats.
"The U.S. dares to operate on Chinese soil without our sanction?" a voice speaks behind Scorch. The person sounds very irritated.
Scorch turns to see who it is. A brawny, bald, green-skinned man approaches with two costumed agents behind him. It is Radioactive Man, Collective Man's peer on the People's Defense Force. He is a third party who could have also blown the Centipor into oblivion.
"Why is the U.S. military here without authorization?" a faceless redheaded woman floats in the air over Radioactive Man's shoulder. She glows with a burning aura resembling Sunfire's. She is Lady of Ten Suns.
Scorch hangs his head sheepishly. "Well, I am actually here as a private citizen," Ross Jonas fesses up.
"Me too. And, as a free citizen, I must be going," Shiro Yoshida pats late Scorch disrespectfully upon the pate. Then, he departs.
"Shall I bring him back? I control the very birds over the South China Sea," Spirit Animal queries leader Radioactive Man. The magnanimous Inhuman monk offers his magic.
Dr. Chen Lu shakes his head, "Lady of Ten Suns would be a better match against Sunfire anyway. No, as the Westerners say, let us simply 'Call it a day'."