Chapter One: Shanghai 1935
A gong sounds throughout the smokey club as a pair of glittering doors slide open, revealing a large staircase. All the way up the stairs are ornately dressed women who start descending. Their singing is lilting and heavenly and one might mistake them for angels if it weren't for the clingy, revealing, lingerie-like dresses they are wearing.
A handsome man in a white tuxedo steps into the building, blending in flawlessly, except for the mud caked work boots he's wearing. A dark haired woman is on his arm, her hair in an intricate braided crown and her 5'1 form draped in a flowing white dress that coordinates perfectly with the man's tux. Neither of them stumble when a small Chinese boy runs headlong into their legs, but the man's grip on the woman does tighten a bit out of precaution. The woman's brow furrows and her jaw clenches as a doorman grabs the kid by his neck and literally hauls him out the door, but the man at her side simply pats her on the hand before practically dragging her into the club room She shoots a glare at the maitre 'd as he apologizes to them for the incident, her chocolate eyes full of warning.
The man leans down to whisper reassuringly in the woman's ear, "Calm down, Leia. He'll be fine, you know he will." She seems to grumble before her face smoothes out and her posture straightens. They pause when they enter and take in the room, gazes skimming over tables of finely dressed men and the stage of singing, dancing women, one who is obviously the frontwoman, before landing on one table in particular. The man in the white tux pulls a silver case from his pocket before flipping it open and extracting a single cigarette. As they reach the table they'd been eyeing, Leia releases his arm and smiles as he leaned down, having a cigarette-girl light him up.
The four Chinese men around the table stare at the couple coldly, obviously not impressed. "Dr. and Mrs. Jones."
Dr. Jones nods at the man who'd spoken, obviously the boss, and pulls Leia closer by the waist as she smiles diplomatically. "Lao Che."
Lao turns to the men at the table and makes a remark in Chinese, the whole table dissolving in laughter that is obviously at Dr. Jones' expense, and Leia can't help her own laugh as her husband responds in kind, the men quickly turning from smug to shocked. They both speak a multitude of languages, Chinese being one of the few that he speaks and she doesn't. It doesn't bother her, she speaks languages that he doesn't and they both know that they can navigate these situations alone.
"You never told me you spoke my language, Dr. Jones."
He shrugs, barely containing a smirk. "I don't like to show off." Indiana Jones pulls out a chair, not looking away from Lao Che as Leia sits gracefully, before pulling out his own chair and dropping into it.
"For this special occasion, I ordered champagne and caviar." A platter of said caviar sits displayed on the center of the table and this time Dr. Jones does smirk as he reaches forward to use it to extinguish his cigarette. The smile on Lao Che's face dies with it just as a round of applause bursts into life, the blonde lead singer's voice fading out. "So, is it true, Dr. Jones? You found Nurhachi?"
"Sure, I found him. Then last night I had a little trouble. Somebody tried to slit my throat."
"It was quite a way to wake up." Leia comments slyly with a shark smile, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "To your husband thrashing around the room as he fights off an assassin." She lifts a glass of champagne that was sitting in front of her and takes a sip as she shrugs. "Honestly, it happens more often than it should. Indy handled it marvelously though, didn't you?" Her eyes threatens violence as her stare pins down Lao's son with a sharp intensity.
Indy hums in agreement and smiles smugly. "It was dark, but I think one of your sons tried to get Nurhachi without paying for him." His gaze moves pointedly to the bandage on Lao's son's hand. Chen, said son, stands with an angry shout, only for his father to bark at him in Chinese and cause him to drop heavily back in his seat.
"You have insulted my son."
"Next time I'll cut off more than just his finger."
"Dr. Jones, I want Nurhachi." Lao pulls a wad of cash from his pocket and drops it onto the table. But the Joneses simply glance at the money before Leia scoffs and Indy quirks a brow.
"As I recall the deal was considerably more."
A pretty hand slides over Lao Chen's shoulder and the conversation comes to a halt as Lao turns to gaze up at the delicate blonde performer who'd just been in the spotlight. He gently takes her hand in his and presses a kiss to her knuckles. She smiles faux demurely down at him before moving her gaze to Indiana. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Lao nods and gestures to the woman.
"This is Willie Scott. And this," he waves a hand towards Indy as if he can't be bothered, "is Indiana Jones, the famous archaeologist. The woman next to him is Leia Jones, his wife." Willie seems to ignore the last sentence as she takes a seat between Lao and Indy, pulling out a compact mirror to check her makeup. "Dr. Jones found Nurhachi for me and is about to deliver him - now." Lao nods across the table and his second son reaches into his coat, pulling out a sliver plated pistol. Indiana shifts nervously, trying his best to put his own body between Leia and the weapon aiming their way. Somehow, Willie seems to not notice anything odd in their proceedings, continuing to check her makeup for a few moments longer.
The blonde peers up from under her lashes flirtatiously at Indy with a coy smile as she teases him, eyes running over his form appreciatively. "Well- I thought archaeologists were always funny little men searching for their mommies-" she cuts herself off with a yelp as she looks down in horror at the knife Indy now has digging into her ribs sharply. "I was only kidding, why can't you take a joke?!" She turns frantically to Lao with panic thick in her voice. "Lao, he's got a knife!"
One of Leia's hands is gripping the edge of the table tightly as the atmosphere thickens further while the other is clutching Indy's thigh, her nails digging into his flesh through his pants. Her eyes flit between each person at the table, desperately trying to find a way out of the situation she and her husband have found themselves in, to no avail. Indy's free hand pries her's from his thigh and intertwines their fingers in an attempt at reassurance.
The archaeologist has his eyes trained on the man with a weapon aiming his way, ignoring the panicked whimpering coming from the blonde woman on his left. "Put the gun away, sonny." After an incredibly tense moment Lao nods shortly at his son, who in turn tucks the weapon away. "Now I suggest you pay me what you promised- or your girlfriend here is going to be squealing a new tune." Willie peers at Lao pleadingly for a few moments before he dips his head in concession and, reaching into his jacket pocket, places ten gold coins next to the wad of cash. Indy glances quickly at his wife, the two sharing a silent conversation, before she stands and moves around the table to inspect the coins closely so her husband could keep a close watch on Lao and Willie. Leia makes sure to keep out of reach of Lao Chen as she spreads the coins across the table cloth to make counting easier. Indy is watching her closely, worrying for the safety of his woman as he holds Lao's hostage, but doing so causes him to miss the man who'd been sitting on Leia's other side slipping a powder into both of their drinks.
Leia turns back to Indy and shakes her head, so the man presses the knife deeper into Willie's rib cage and grits his teeth. "Try again Lao- the deal was more." Willie lets out another whimper and tries to shift away, only for Indy to grip her tightly by the elbow. Slowly, Lao reaches into his jacket and brings out a piece of folded rice paper. He slowly unfolds it and out tumbles a ruby and a large diamond, the Joneses grinning at each other at the sight. "Bingo... you see, Lao, with a bit of persuasion, even you can be an honest fellow." Leia returns to her seat gracefully and places her hand back on Indy's thigh, her other hand lifting her champagne in a mocking toast. Indy smirks as he slams his blade into the table, the knife shaking slightly from the intensity of the blow, and does the same, gently clinking his glass against Leia's. However, just as Indy goes to take his sip of champagne, Willie leaps to her feet with an outraged cry, knocking into his arm and causing him to place his drink down in an attempt to keep it from spilling, but this doesn't stop Leia from taking a sip from her glass.
"Look at this! He put a hole in my dress from Paris!"
Lao snarls at the woman and slams his hand on the table. "Sit down!" She quickly obeys, dropping into her seat with a pout, as Lao lifts his own glass with a tight smile. "To your health, Doctor Jones, Mrs. Jones." The couple raise their glasses together and drink, Leia taking her second sip since returning to her seat and quietly wondering why the temperature in the room seems to have gone up a few 100 degrees. Chen grins at the Joneses and places a silver snuff bottle on the table next to the cash, gold, and jewels, tipping it over and laughing as a white powder spills out of it.
Indy, having noticed his wife's heavy breathing and increasing alarm, stares at the powder with horror as he asks a question he's terrified he already knows the answer to. "What's that?"
"A bonus, Dr. Jones. That is poison. You and your lovely wife just drank the rest of it." Indy clumsily fumbles for Leia's drink and runs his finger along the inside of it, staring at it with a blinding fear that, despite the many dangerous adventures they'd gone on in the past, he'd never felt so strongly. He quickly snatches up his own glass and peers into it, swallowing and beginning to feel sick himself, before moving his attention back to Lao Che.
"There is an antidote for this poison. You give me Nurhachi - I give you the antidote." Willie spins to face them, taking in Indy's shaking hands and Leia's pallor as she slumps onto his shoulder with laboured breathing. Indy, glancing at his wife, weighs his options as his mind races through a hundred various outcomes. "The poison works fast, Dr. Jones. Where is Nurhachi?" Indiana reluctantly reaches into his pocket with a trembling hand and pulls out an ornately decorated box, placing it next to the cash, gold, and jewels. Lao and his men stare at the box of gold and enamel hypnotically while Willie crinkles her nose at it in confusion.
"This Nurhachi is a very small guy." Leia rolls her eyes at the other woman as Lao reaches toward the box and Indy explains.
"Inside are the remains of Nurhachi- the first Emperor of the Manchu Dynasty." Lao delicately opens the box and gazes reverently at the ashes within. The glare Indy is aiming at Lao is fierce as he pushes some hair that has fallen from Leia's braid out of her face tenderly, worriedly. She's ingested more of the poison than he has and she already doesn't look too good. She'll end up succumbing before him.
"Now what about the antidote, Lao?"
"At last I have the ashes of my sacred ancestor!"
"So, what's the big deal? Let me see it!" The blonde woman clumsily jerks at Lao's arm, causing him to watch in stunned horror as some of the sacred ashes slosh over the side of the ornate box and onto the floor. Lao lets out a harsh snarl and tightly grips her by the arm, twisting it angrily behind her back.
"You fool!"
"Ow! You're hurting me!" Willie's cry draws Indy's attention away from his deteriorating wife and back to the situation at hand.
"Let go of her, Lao, and give me the antidote." He snaps, the fear that is churning violently in his chest getting worse with each breath that Leia struggles to take. Anger joins his fear when Lao simply laughs smugly, cruelly, Leia's grip on Indy's forearm is growing weaker each minute. That anger is slowly replaced with satisfaction as Lao's glee is cut short by the unmistakable feeling of a gun being pressed to his back. Behind him stands Wu Han, a friend of the Joneses that had gone undercover disguised as a waiter and now hides a pistol beneath the towel draping over his hand. He gives his friends a smile, the scar running across his face crinkling as the skin pulls tight. Lao releases his grip on Willie slowly, raising his hands in surrender, while his son stops collecting the coins and jewels scattered on the table at the realisation that his father is in danger. "I like the service here." Leia lets out a weak chuckle at that, despite the fact that her face is deathly pale and her eyes were only managing to remain partially opened.
Willie is peering up at Wu Han with a scrunched face, confusion written on every line as she rubs her tender arm. "He's not a waiter...?"
"No," Indy shakes his head with a smirk, refusing to show Chen the effectiveness of his poison, "Wu Han's an old friend I brought along." His eyes move from the blonde to the man holding his and his wife's lives in his hands. "So, the game's not over. Put the antidote on the table, Lao." He does, pulling a vial of liquid from his pocket and placing it on the table next to the poison, box of ashes, coins, and jewels littering the white table cloth. Indiana can't help the visible relief that appears on his face as he reaches for the vial, only to flinch back as two muffled shots ring out, his arms flying to pull Leia away from the table with him. He watches in horror as Wu Han sways on his feet, splotches of red ominously growing across his shirt and a pained groan leaving his lips. Indy gently sets Leia back against her chair and begins to leap to his feet to help his friend, only to be forced to a stop when Kao Kan aims the silencer tipped pistol at his chest. Indy's eyes dart between Kao Kan and Wu Han frantically as he eases back into his chair, fear for Leia- who is looking quite bad at this point- and his loyal friend churning violently in his chest. Kan rises to his feet and takes Wu Han by the shoulder, lowering the bleeding man into his now vacant chair while still keeping his weapon aimed at Indy.
"Wu Han," Indy begins, forcing his voice to hold steady, "listen to me- I'm getting you out of here."
"Not this time my friend," he smiles bravely, his teeth and the inner side of his bottom lip stained crimson due to the blood travelling up his throat. "I followed you on many adventures-" he inhales a ragged breath and Indy's chest tightens at the sight and the feeling of Leia's tears dripping onto his shirt from where she is resting her head on his shoulder once more. "- but into the great Unknown Mystery, I go first… Indy…" With one last shuddering breath that causes blood to gurgle past his lips and down his chin, Wu Han slumps down on the table dead. Indiana Jones feels something crack in his chest as he watches his old friend die in front of him, all while he sits, unable to do anything. Resolve replaces the crack in his heart, his eyes turning fierce rather than sad- Leia won't share Wu Han's fate.
"Don't be sad, Dr. Jones," Lao croons condescendingly, "you and your wife will soon be joining him." The vindictive man giggles wickedly, causing the anger at the death of his friend, his desperate fear for his wife, and the burning of the poison in his gut to swirl together, creating a perfect storm that gives Dr. Jones just enough willpower to force himself to his feet. Leia groans breathily as she loses her support, slumping back into her chair. Indiana determinedly ignores the sweat that has broken out across his face, the trembling of his knees, and the sight of Lao Che's face blurring into two as he stumbles forward. His unsteadiness causes unjust suredness of victory to flit across Che's face, but rather than kneeling over dead, Indy grabs a waiter from a nearby table (the rest of the room having been unaware of the poisoning and shooting going on around them till this moment) and pulls the kabab of flaming pigeons from his grasp.
Indiana Jones doesn't even blink as he flings the stick forward, watching with satisfaction as it lodges itself in Lao Che's chest with a solid thunk, the man shrieking in horror at both the pain and the sight of the flames burning heatedly in front of his face. Chaos erupts around the room, panicked screams and the sound of chairs falling over as people scramble to their feet in a desperate attempt to escape filling the air.
"The antidote!" Leia cries, reaching for it weakly at the same time Indy stumbles forward in an attempt to snatch it up. The Jones with a doctorate is ripped away from the precious vial by Chen, who's grabbed him from behind. Indy's elbow flies backwards, connecting solidly with Chen's face, before he reaches over his shoulder to grip the nine fingered son by the head with both hands and uses his leverage to somersault the punk over his shoulder and send him crashing into the table. The force of Lao Che's son's impact with the table sends the box full of Nurhachi flying, the top flying open and a cloud of sacred emperor erupting in Lao's face, a blow almost worse than the one he'd taken to the chest.
Leia lets out a horrified shout as the vial rolls off the table, Indy's head snapping up at the sound just in time to catch sight of the vial heading towards it's destruction. He launches forward, snatching it out of thin air and cradling it between his hands just before it crashes against the floor. Some tension eases in his chest as he finally has the antidote that will save his wife and himself in his possession. That relief is immediately ruined by the crushing blow of a foot stomping down on his hand, the vial rolling away and Indy letting out a pained grunt as he feels the bones in his hand creak dangerously. He angrily throws his head back, connecting it harshly with the owner of the foot's groin, evoking a howl as the henchman stumbles away. Neither Jones notices Lao shoving the cash and coins into his pockets, nor Willie watching him before eagerly following his lead and lurching to grab the precious gems he was ignoring- they are too consumed with their desperation for the antidote. Willie is foiled by Kao Kan, who accidentally knocks them to the floor as he leaps over the table to attack Indy. Leia, still weak but also stubborn as hell and determined to help her husband, scoops up a silver serving tray she spots abandoned on the floor near her chair. She holds it up, right in Kao Kan's path, and grins weakly when she hears a crunch as his nose breaks on impact. Kan slumps onto the table, clearly unconscious, and Leia returns her attention to the chaos around her. Lao Che, still flaming and all too concerned with his money and Nurhachi, doesn't notice his son losing to a tiny woman, or Leia throwing herself from her chair before crawling off in the direction she'd seen Indy go.
"Indiana Jones! Where do you think you're going!" She manages to shout, her voice hoarse and her makeup beginning to run from the poison induced sweats she is currently suffering. The man in question's head snaps up at the sound of his wife's shout, relief filling him at the realisation that she's well enough to yell at him and she will probably be able to help with their escape rather than be a hindrance, and he turns to face her. Their reunion is interrupted before it can really even begin by the ridiculous blonde singer tripping over Indy. She lands on her back with a thump and an ooph as she knocks the vial away from the Joneses without even really noticing.
His relief at the sight of his wife up and about, as well as the realisation that the vial is only inches from his grasp, sitting perfectly halfway between them, turns swiftly into ire at the sight of it spinning away into the chaos of frantic feet.
"Look out, damn it!" He snaps at the singer who's been nothing but a pain in the ass thus far, his green hazel eyes molten with anger. "We need that antidote!"
"Who cares?!" She shrieks, earning her a withering glare from Leia as the three of them sit on their hands in knees in a circle amidst the rapidly worsening atmosphere of the room. "Where's that diamond!" The trio's stare down is broken when sudden gunfire erupts, the group splitting up in two different directions. Indy's hand shoots out and grabs Leia's elbow, dragging her along as he darts through the crowd of fleeing patrons before managing to tuck the two of them behind a fountain spewing water. Water flies up in dramatic spurts as bullets shot by a, surprisingly still standing, Lao and his henchmen miss the Joneses by inches. Leia's breathing is laboured, the recent expenditure of energy causing the effects of the poison to hit her even harder than they had been previously. Indy rubs her back comfortingly as he attempts to catch his own breath, his veins feeling as if they have fire coursing through them. The vial catches his attention once more as it's kicked by a fleeing guest, the glass catching the light as it spins and causing it to glint almost teasingly. He shakes his head, his vision blurring, and reaches into the fountain to splash his face with water, clearing his head the tiniest bit.
He gently lowers Leia onto her side, hoping the marble floor will help cool her down, behind the fountain. He knows she won't be able to keep up with him as he recklessly chases after their only hope, and this would be the best cover she can have until he can come back for her.
"Leia, hey, Leia, listen to me. Can you hear me?" She groans but nods her head, eyes opening fully to peer up at her husband who is crouched worriedly above her. "I'm gonna get the antidote, hon, okay? Stay right here, I'll be back."
"You better," she manages to mumble out, her trembling hand finding his and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Save your energy, we're gonna have to run to get outta here." She nods one last time in a show of understanding before he's off, launching himself on top of a nearby serving cart, his momentum sending the cart flying across the room, hurtling into a nearby gunman. Indy smirks smugly when the impact sends the man face first into a row of ice buckets. His gaze scans the marble floor for that incredibly important vial of blue liquid, only to scowl as he catches sight of Willie's manicured fingers plucking it from the chaos and holding it up against the light. "Hey, doll!" He shouts, sliding past her on the still careening serving cart. "Don't move!" His attention is roughly drawn from Willie and back to straight ahead, where Lao and his men are rushing to block his path as they heft up their guns. His eyes go wide and he throws himself off the cart, tumbling behind a potted palm that he is quick to use for cover as they open fire once again. His eyes seek out Willie amongst the crowd and, when he finally spots her mass of blonde curls, he points aggressively in her direction as he calls out, "Hey, don't go away! We need that!"
She snorts derisively and rolls her eyes, tucking the vial down the front of her dress as a mean smile grows across her face. She thumbs her nose at him snidely before walking away, taking his chance at saving Leia with her.
"I'm going to kill her." He grumbles to himself before peering around for inspiration on his next move. It comes at the sight of a large, golden statue positioned just to the side of the stage and he is quick to dart out from behind the palm tree, ducking his head down as bullets start piercing the wall around him. With a bracing breath he springs onto a chair, leaps onto its corresponding table, and then launches himself onto the stage. With a heave he manages to pull the golden broadsword from the statue's grip, having to duck behind the golden warrior just in time as bullets smash into it rather than him. He gives himself two seconds to talk himself up before he sprints out from behind his cover and towards the humongous brass gong hanging above the stage. He lashes out, deftly slicing the crimson cord holding the gong in place before tossing his weapon at his assailants. He reaches out, giving the gong a helpful shove, and then ducks behind it for mobile cover when it finally begins to roll. It clangs loudly as it bounces down the marble steps before rolling across the dance floor. As he nears the fountain, he starts to worry as to how he's going to get Leia up and moving, only to catch sight of her determinedly peering at him from behind the fountain. She's pale, and shaking, but still crouched in wait for the right moment to join him behind the gong. Their eyes meet and she nods once at him feebly before dashing to his side, Indy wincing with each ricocheting bullet that sounds as she runs, each too close for comfort. He wraps an arm around her waist to help keep her upright, her long gown tangling with her poison weakened ankles and causing a major hazard as they run. He's begun to lose hope of ever finding the antidote in time, just as his eyes settle on a frantically fleeing Willie dead ahead of them.
The blonde turns, eyes going wide at the sight of a mammoth gong bearing down on her, only to be yanked from it's path by Indy in the nick of time, who tucks her behind it alongside him and his wife. Willie lets out a shout and almost berates him about his lack of manners until more gunmen enter the room, the sound of machine guns echoing throughout the room and the time between bullet impacts seeming to all but disappear. She wisely keeps her mouth shut, Indy's attention fully on his stumbling wife anyhow, until she realises they were headed for a floor to ceiling window. Indy ignores her horrified shrieks of protest as he wraps his arms tightly around Leia's waist and practically pulls her off her useless feet and into his chest as the glass shatters around them.
The glass sparkles amongst the lit up signs adorning Shanghai's businesses as it showers down on the green tiled roof. There's a loud thud as the trio lands solidly on the now ruined tiles, Indy's grip is still tight on his wife as they tumble behind the trailblazing gong, one over the other. Willie is shrieking behind them, her hand reaching out to grip Indy's shirt so he can't escape her wrath if she manages to live through this. Miraculously, their little group stays together as they fly off the edge of the roof and plummet three stories. They rip through an awning, crash through an old man's mattress, and eventually tear through the convertible top of a Duesenberg parked below them. They're dumped in an uncomfortable pile in the backseat.
Willie extracts herself from the tangle of limbs and manages to sit up, her face contorting in awe at the fact that she is still alive, before making eye contact with the small Chinese boy behind the wheel.
"Wow!" He chirps, a bright smile crossing his face. "Holy smoke! Crash landing!" Indy rolls his eyes in a mixture of fondness and annoyance before readjusting himself and his now barely conscious wife. He snaps urgently at the closest thing to a child he and Leia has as men start to pour out the door to their left.
"Step on it, Short Round!" The boy, after tossing a worried look at Leia, is cheerful as he spins around, shifting gears.
"Okey doke, Indy! Hold onto your potatoes." The twelve year old squints his eyes adorably in determination as he turns his hat around so the bill is in the back. He slams on the gas, tires squealing dramatically as he peels away from the nightclub they'd just come crashing out of.
"For crying out loud!" Willie shrieks, hands frantically gripping the seat in front of her, " A kid's driving the car?!"
"Relax," Indy drawls out insufferably, "I've been giving him lessons." The roar of Lao's two black sedans behind them in pursuit eggs Short Round on, the kid eagerly careening around corners and swerving between other vehicles at a breakneck speed. Indy, far from affected by Short Round's driving, turns to Willie before he shoves a hand down the front of her dress with absolutely zero hesitation.
The blonde squeaks and swats ineffectually at his hand, protests pouring out as quickly as Short Round is driving. "Listen, we just met for chrissake! I'm not that kind of girl! Besides, what would your wife think?!"
"Don't get your hopes up sweetheart," he bites out harshly, "where's the antidote?" He withdraws his hand with a victorious grin when he feels the cool glass of the vial against his finger tips. He turns to his left where Leia is sprawled unconscious, but still breathing he reassures himself, and quickly unscrews the top. "Alright, doll," he huffs, propping her up on his arm so the liquid goes down her throat rather than down her chin. He's shaking as he pours the blue fluid past her lips, a combination of fear and the poison, and he only stops when he decides it's gotta be more than enough and if he pours anymore he's a deadman. He sits there, vial clutched tightly in his grip, and refuses to polish the antidote off until he's sure Leia's going to recover. The air is thick with tension as he watches her closely for any sign of improvement, his breath caught in his throat.
"She alright, Indy?" Short Round shouts from the front seat as he desperately tries to focus on the road and not his mother figure limp in his father figure's arms. He doesn't respond until he notices her inhale deeply, colour slowly but surely returning to her cheeks and lips. He nearly collapses back against the seat with relief as he chugs the remainder of the antidote, Willie watching him with furrowed brows.
"She's gonna be alright, kid." Short Round's shoulders visibly relax as he makes another turn, Willie being thrown into Indy's shoulder by the force of it.
"You don't look very good."
He snorts and readjusts Leia into a more comfortable looking position. "Poison never agrees with me." He ignores her bewildered look at the implication and leans forward to speak with their driver. "Pull a right, Short Round, and head for the Wang Poo bridge!"
He nods eagerly and gives Indy a thumbs up over his shoulder. "Check! Gotcha!" The car picks up speed, if that's even possible, and Indy turns to peer at their pursuers out the back window, either uncaring or unaware of the blonde next to him's horror at the sight of her reflection.
"Look at what you've done to me! I'm a mess!" At this point Leia finally sits up with a groan, hand rubbing her forehead in an attempt to soothe the ache. The first thing she notices about her surroundings is Willie's complaining. "My lipstick's smeared, I broke two nails, and I've got an awful run in my stocking!" This time when Leia groans, it's from annoyance rather than pain.
"Is now really the time to be-?"
"Somehow I think you've got bigger problems-" Indy and Leia reproach together, the former tossing his body to shield the latter's as bullets tear through the fabric roof of their car and cause the back window to shatter violently over their heads. Willie ducks, cringing, as she throws her hands over her head and shoots the married couple a dirty look.
"A lot of help you two are!" She gripes, annoyed at their seeming lack of concern for her safety, too consumed in each other.
Indy pulls back from where he'd tucked his head over Leia's and gives her a searching look, pulling off of her completely at her reassuring nod. He heaves his bag up from the floor and pulls his gun from it's depths, perching himself with the barrel pointed out the window as he returns fire. He gives a quick glance over his shoulder at the road ahead of them, having to shout over the roar of vehicles and bursts of gunfire to give Short Round direction.
"There, Shorty! Through the tunnel!" The darkness grows thicker when Short Round follows his command, broken only by the headlights behind them and the bright flashes of gunfire, the sound echoing eerily in the tunnel. Leia pushes herself up, the Joneses both starting to return to normal thanks to the antidote, and leans between the two front seats.
"What're we going to do?! Where are we going?!" Leia turns to shush Willie, knowing now really wasn't the time for her piercing voice and inane questions, but her attention is quickly drawn back to Short Round who's started breathing heavily.
"To the airport." Indy shouts in response to the blonde, Leia noticing their doomed course at the same time as her husband.
"Look out, Shorty! No, left, left!" She shouts before launching further over the seats to grab the wheel and help him navigate, the square ending up being just as treacherous to power through as one would expect. People let out shouts at the sight of the Duesenberg steaming towards them, many having to leap out of the way to avoid being crushed. Leia ducks her head down as the lanterns that had been decorating the street crash down and get caught, dragging behind them dramatically. Bullets continue to whizz by and explode against nearby buildings, sending more people scurrying for their lives while a group of nearby prostitutes watch them pass with looks of amazement.
The shredded fabric top of the convertible whips aggressively in the wind as Indy pulls his wife back to the relative safety provided when slumping down in the back seat. "You got the tickets, Short Round?" He calls over the sound of fifty mile an hour winds and the popping of guns, shoulders relaxing a bit when the kid nods.
"Sure, Indy!" He digs around with one hand for a minute before tossing an envelope back into Leia's lap. "Four tickets! You, Leia, me, and Wu Han!" The Joneses share a morose look at the last name, Indy's voice brimming with sadness when he works up the nerve to tell their young friend.
"Wu Han's not coming, Shorty." Leia reaches over the seat to give him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder as the kid ponders what exactly that means. She's not quite sure he fully understands what happened back at the club when he nods resolutely.
"Don't worry, Indy, Leia! Short Round number one bodyguard now!" Leia smiles sadly and squeezes his shoulder once more before flopping back against her seat. Somehow, in the chaos, she'd wound up sitting between Indy and Willie, and she practically ignores the latter as she opens the envelope containing their escape. She pulls the tickets out with a grin, only to let out an annoyed noise when Willie snatches one from her hand.
"I'll take the extra ticket!" Leia considers protesting, wanting nothing less than to have to deal with the blonde showgirl for the rest of their journey, but realises with Lao on their tail they didn't have much of a choice. Leaving her behind meant leaving her to be executed. She hands Indy his ticket instead of saying what had been on the tip of her tongue, keeping her mouth shut as she watches their progress down the dark highway, finally leaving the chaos of Shanghai behind. "Where's this plane going anyway?"
"Siam," Leia answers diplomatically, pulling Indy's satchel from where it had tumbled to the floorboards of the car once more before passing it to him. Her deft hands work quickly as they pull the pins from her hair and unweave it, allowing it to hang down her shoulders and to her waist for a moment before she plaits it down the back of her head. The braided crown was starting to give her a headache and a simple braid will be much preferable for a potential confrontation anyhow. The blonde to her right lets out an indignant noise and gestures down towards her ruined outfit.
"Siam? But I'm not dressed for Siam!" The three others in the car ignore her for what had to be the hundredth time as Short Round swings around a corner. Willie yelps as she's thrown against the window but the Joneses manage to keep their balance, eyes focused sharply on the path ahead of them. Gravel slings from beneath their tires as they skid towards an airfield. Short Round ignores the small terminal in view, whipping instead towards the cargo area where a two engine passenger plane sat within view. Anxieties start to rise as they notice the final passengers are in the process of boarding the plane, and the car makes an odd squealing, shrieking sound as Short Round slams them to a stop. They pile out of the car, Leia gripping Short Round's hand in her left while Indy takes her right. The harried group surges forward only to be blocked by what could only be the military police. Leia opens her mouth to talk their way out of this but is saved from the hassle by their friend Weber, a heavyset Englishman who's very out of breath, rushing to their rescue.
"No, no, they're all right, please let them through!"
"Thanks Weber," Indy says with a grin, shaking the man's hand gratefully.
"Doctor and Mrs. Jones," he starts reproachfully, Short Round dashing back to grab the final bag from the car now that he knows the plane wouldn't leave without him, "this is positively the last time our airline can hold a flight for you two. Now you must hurry!" With Shorty back at their sides, Weber and a stewardess usher them towards the plane, taking their tickets as they pass. Indy pushes Leia and Short Round through the doorway first, the two hand in hand, and then Willie. He turns as he hears Lao's two sedans skid up to the runway and watches as the MPs advance warily. Realising he's outgunned, Lao orders his men to stand down while Indy clambers up the ladder quickly. Indy pauses at the top step to turn and give Lao a cocky salute, resulting in Leia shouting at him loudly from inside the plane.
"Get in here you cocky, moronic ass! You're going to get yourself shot!" Willie gasps dramatically, placing her hand on her chest and shakes her head as if she's never heard a lady use such language before. Indy, knowing he's already pushed his luck in regards to his wife, enters the plane. Relief, and a rush of endorphins, fills them all as the copilot slams the door shut behind Indy with a decisive thud. The four begin to move away from the door as the ground rocks beneath them, the plane finally beginning to taxi and take them away from Lao's clutches.