The gleaming edge of the spear came toward us. And it was batted aside.
Great Tiger took that chance to step closer to our foe and backhand the impudent man child.
His grip on the weapon sagged and we stole it from him. Great Tiger threw it against a wall, impaling it till the hilt.
Hogan's clone received more boos and he fetched once again another weapon. This time he grabbed nunchakus.
-"Let's try again, wimp!"
He came in fast, flails swooshing in the air. We rolled on the ground, kicking his legs from below. He felled on his face, breaking his nose.
-"Yield now and spare yourself greater shame."
The man spat on the ground and crawled behind the same door he arrived.
We picked up the nunchakus and started to clean the blood from them.
Our referee bowed to us.
-"You win the bout. It fills me with shame that you had to witness that."
-"The Art is more than fighting. I will take your sign, since this place is-"
-"TOUCH IT AND YOU DIE!"
Carrot top and I looked at the far end of the dojo. There was Joseph, wielding a pistol and shaking with fury.
Hendriks spoke slowly and his voice carried.
-"Jo, don't do something stupid. There are kids here."
The kids started crying and hiding behind the older students.
Jo's licked his lips.
-"Don't worry, I won't miss."
Great Tiger started weaving the nunchakus and pumping chi in the wood.
-"For this foolishness, you will pay dearly."
Let's give credit where credit it's due, the shot was dead center in our eyes. A pity it was batted aside by the infused wood.
The gun barked again and again, each time the lethal metal was knocked aside. Light bulbs, weapon in the walls, portraits, all shattered with the ricochets.
The clicks resonated in the deathly silent dojo. When we reached him, Great Tiger struck. He targeted his arms with pincer fingers. The grown-ass man wept. I watched in incredulity as the very tattoos were ripped from his skin, the inked tigers being pulled as a thread is ripped from an old cloth. Our would-be murderer was reduced to a whimpering mass on the floor.
Hendricks was slack-jawed. He didn't move when his companion took the dojo's sign from the wall and handed it to us.
-"This one apologizes on behalf-"
A raised hand silenced her.
-"No fault lies in you, Escort of Heroes. Fetch me the sign of Murphy's dojo."
When we received it, we bowed low and started heading towards the exit. The great spirit looked around, disgusted for all the images adorning the place.
-"You are not worthy of using my image."
He closed our eyes, and a rumbling started in my belly, it ground chi and sound together, with a touch of fire. We arched our back and let a wild roar rip the air. The lightbulbs exploded, all the roof tiles shook. And then there was peace.
When we opened our eyes, the walls were bare. No trace of any painting, the door's arch was now a simple wooden affair.