Bloody Roar III: Reunited by Chance, a Reflection of the Past
By Tiger5913
Chapter 19
Discarding Past Atrocities
Post the discovery and expected
Reaction, another surprise awaits
All of the friends, the shape being in
An unlikely form, with painful past
Events tagged onto the figure.
"…So you hadn't really seen Bry-your nephew, very much before?"
"No. After my sister conceived…Bryan, Adam convinced her to let the three of them move to a better surrounding. In other words, out of her birth neighborhood."
The blonde-haired woman snorted disapprovingly. "That sounds terribly crude of him."
Sitting across from her in their booth, her beau paused to take a sip of Jasmine tea from his small white cup, letting the warm liquid slide soothingly down his throat before commenting, "I thought that as well. I don't know how he got Ivy to listen to him."
"Well… at least the moving issue would explain why you didn't recognize…Bryan…upon meeting him again three years ago," she remarked.
A wry smile quirked at the corners of his lips. "The idea of forgetting about one of my own blood relatives must sound rather preposterous to you."
"No, not really - given your situation," Jane assured him. "After all… I myself do not know who my birth parents are…"
"You look so much like Alan… I am astonished that the two of you aren't blood-related…" the Kenpo master informed her.
A distracted look appeared in her light blue eyes. "I want to inquire Father about that sometime… About my parents, that is. I need to ask if he knows anything about them at all."
"I hope that you will find information regarding your parents, Jane…" Long said solemnly. "Not knowing about your past… may have unease lingering in the back of your consciousness."
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to force down the unease that was already lurking in her mind.
"Are you alright…?" came the gentle query.
Reopening her eyes, the leopard zoanthrope nodded slowly, allowing her gaze to meet his concerned dark brown pupils. "I am okay. Just a little dubious about my background."
"…I'm sorry for bringing it up."
Giving him a weak smile, she extended her arm to place her palm into his. "Don't worry about it." Her eyes widened slightly just then and her free hand slipped into her pocket to retrieve an object; "Oh, I forgot to give these back to you…"
After faintly spotting what was gently resting in the middle of her palm, the Kenpo master grinned at her and carefully picked up the pair of lenses. "Thank you for holding onto these for me. I was afraid my eyes were starting to familiarize themselves with the fuzzy setting."
Jane chuckled. "Everything appeared disoriented to you?"
"Heh, a bit," he replied, putting on the glasses. "But I'm glad that I can see well again… And of course… seeing you clearly is definitely something I feel contented by."
She flushed slightly. "Thanks…"
"…Jane, what do you suppose happened to Bry-" her boyfriend paused momentarily. "You know what… I am going to refer to him as Kenji. He also did request me to use that alias at the very beginning of our previous conversation."
The blonde-haired woman nodded her agreement.
"Well, to finish what I was saying, what do you suppose happened to Kenji that had him encounter Xion?"
"I'm not sure. But we all know by now that the results were far from positive…" The couple exchanged a look of grimace.
"Preying on the young… Toying with their consciousness and forcing them to question themselves and the people around…" Long frowned in distaste. "The works of a true mind-manipulator."
"Actually, something else has been disturbing me lately…" his girlfriend began to say albeit hesitantly, looking at him carefully.
"What?"
Her expression was vastly serious. "Long, it's about… your clone."
His face darkened slightly at the mention, but he said quietly, "All right… continue…"
"I… don't understand how we were able to be in combat that other night if, according to you, he had killed himself three years ago…" she appeared a bit doubtful.
The tiger zoanthrope seemed as mystified as she was on the subject. "I do not understand ether… He…annihilated himself before me… I saw him do so… and even felt his blood come into contact my skin…" His face changed to a look of sorrow, his eyes filling with pain at the memory.
"Do you think that Busuzima could have made another clone of you?" Jane questioned sensibly.
Her compatriot shook his head. "It's a possibility… but I sincerely doubt it. Why would he want to go through all of the trouble a second time?"
"Good point," She sighed. "I am really curious about where Shenlong's body disappeared to… A dead corpse cannot just get up and walk away."
A dead being roaming around amongst the living… What a disturbing concept… Long shuddered slightly at the thought and his gaze traveled elsewhere. "I… would rather not think about it-" Just then, he trailed off abruptly, his eyes widening in shock at something over her shoulder. A bit alarmed at his expression, his girlfriend turned around in her seat to see what he was looking at.
Her eyes fell upon two figures standing at the entrance of the teahouse that the couple was currently sitting in. Even though both of the newcomers had their backs turned, she could make out that the barely noticeable shorter one was female and that her companion was male. The woman had ebony black hair that was waist-length, and it was tied in a ponytail with a red band that irked at the leopard zoanthrope with a sense of familiarity. Her outfit of a dark blue sweatshirt and navy pants didn't conjure up any recollection.
The other person had his hand linked with the woman's, and his long, raven-colored hair was in a tight braid; that nagged at Jane's subconscious mind as well. She especially took note of his cyan-colored top that had red and gold Chinese designs on the back, but looked past the black jeans covering his lower body.
When the blonde tomboy was about to turn back to her companion and question him what was wrong; she suddenly sensed the smell of a zoanthrope nearby. Her eyes hastily scanned the area while she wondered why she hadn't noticed the scent earlier. Just then, Jane realized who the zoanthrope was, it had to be one or both of the two people that just walked into the teahouse.
Feeling a bit relieved after figuring that out, she looked at her boyfriend and whispered to him, "Long, it's okay. I think that one or both of the people that just came in are zoanthropes."
"But… You don't understand…" he murmured, sounding a bit strained. "I can sense him…"
What does he mean by 'him'…? Confused by his statement, she took a second look at the newcomers and caught a glimpse of the man's face when he briefly turned to glance at the woman next to him.
His facial features were the exact replica of Long's.
The realization hit her in a startling jolt. "Wait… it can't be…"
"Shenlong…" The Kenpo master muttered in confirmation, an inkling of dislike lingering in his voice.
As if he had heard his name be called out or on cue, Shenlong turned toward their direction, while his female companion was conversing with a nearby waiter about getting seated, oblivious to the other happenings. He looked around the large room in curiosity, his gaze coincidentally falling upon the table that Long and Jane were sitting in. His eyes met the other man's and he jerked back in surprise, slightly alarming his partner.
His mouth set in a firm line and his expression otherwise emotionless, Long stood up stiffly and started walking toward his double, who was gallantly standing his ground. Spying the predicament, his girlfriend immediately got out of her seat, following right behind him. Upon reaching the other couple, he wordlessly grabbed a firm hold of Shenlong's arm and jerked him out the door, making the woman shriek. As soon as the two men went outside, the leopard zoanthrope turned to console the lone female that was left.
"Shawn!!" The black-haired woman called out, starting to head toward the door.
Shawn…? Jane got in front of her and held up her hands, blocking the way. "Excuse me, mam, I advise you to allow those two a little time to themselves-"
"…Ms. Gado? Is that you?"
"…?" The leopard zoanthrope peered more closely. "Danielle-um, Doctor Kaysley!"
The female physician gave her a tight smile in reply, then tried to get a look outside. "I'm not on duty right now, so call me Danielle, please. But Ms. Gado… would you mind telling me what Mr. Shin is doing with my b-I mean, Shawn?"
Wait a minute… Shenlong is her what?! "…Shawn?" Jane questioned.
"Yes, he is outside with Mr. Shin right now…"
"Um, your…Shawn…is an old… I guess you could say, acquaintance of Mr. S-er, Long's." The leopard zoanthrope wrinkled her nose in distaste, feeling strange about referring to Shenlong with that alias.
"…Really?" Danielle appeared dubious. "But he yanked Shawn out of here quite roughly… I thought those two were old rivals or something."
I suppose you could put it that way… her accomplice thought wryly. Out loud, she said, "Why don't we go and sit down at my table? We can wait there until those two are finished."
"Well, if I won't be too much of a bother…"
"No problem," she replied quickly, then grinned. "You did help the runt, after all."
The young doctor looked a little confused. "Pardon?"
"Oh, sorry, I was talking about Uriko - or, as you call her, Ms. Nonomura," Jane explained. She's going to be Mrs. Takiyo someday; heh… or Ohgami, depending on what name Kenji is going to choose to go as…
Her companion laughed softly. "My apologies, I'm still a bit dazed from what just happened with Shawn and your… boyfriend? Or is he your fiancé?"
Fiancé?? Long and I getting engaged like the runt and Kenji…? The blonde-haired woman flushed a little at the thought. "He and I have been together for almost three years, but we're not engaged or anything like that." Yeah, we're just living with each other also…
"Almost three years, congratulations!" the black-haired doctor exclaimed, smiling warmly. "You two must really love each other."
She blushed a little more deeply. "Well… Long is really compassionate and sweet toward me…"
"How cute!" Danielle commented. "I hope Shawn and I will be like that someday."
Is she serious? Jane wondered in disbelief. I thought Shenlong was a cold-hearted jerk… "Come on, let's go sit down."
"All right."
This is… very intriguing… Shenlong having a romantic interest… The leopard zoanthrope thought silently as the two women walked away from the entrance and headed for the table. But…does she know about his past and who he really is…?
*****
The minute they were outside Long tugged the other man over around a corner to a side of the teahouse, trying to seem inconspicuous to any onlookers that were nearby. Paying no heed to the resistance of his captive, he scanned the area, and upon seeing that no one was around, he released his grip, instantly backing away as if the contact had burned him.
"Tell me, right now, what the hell is going on," he demanded evenly. "I tire of feeling direly bewildered over these things."
"Calm down-" his clone began to say. He must be incredulously upset if he is using vulgarity…
The Kenpo master's eyes flashed in anger atop the agitation that was already hovering in them. "What do you mean, 'calm down'?! Three years ago, I watched you decease right before my eyes; the night Jane and I fought against you, I felt no pulse afterward our battle and I presumed that you were dead. Now, you walk into that teahouse with some female accomplice, appearing fully revitalized and perfectly animate!"
"I'm sorry that you're disappointed with me being alive," Shenlong said dryly, casting his companion a look that was tinted with sarcasm. "But if you would just please be sedated for a moment and let me get a word in edgewise-!"
Grumbling irritably under his breath Long reluctantly obliged and regarded his twin discreetly. "Fine. But answer me this first: who is that woman you were with? Are you preying on innocent human bystanders now as well?"
An expression of slight remorse flickered over the other man's face. "Her name is Danielle and she is a… very close friend of mine. I am residing at her home."
Danielle…? The original tiger zoanthrope thought as a small frown formed over his face. "That sounds rather familiar…" he mumbled quietly to himself.
"She is a zoanthrope like us, Long," his clone continued. "Danielle can defend herself from me if it were necessary. But she would not have to do that, because I would never hurt her of my free will."
"…How do I know that the things you are speaking are the truth? How can I be sure that you are not just fibbing?" came the immediate retort.
His twin turned to look him in the eye. "Because, if you don't realize it, you know me."
What nonsense. "We… may share physical appearances, but the line is drawn there-" The Kenpo master trailed off as he glanced at Shenlong and noticed the color of his eyes. The former blood-red irises were no longer there, and instead, a hazy shade of misty green had replaced them. The trait change somewhat discarded the once-hostile aura that emitted from his form, and now had him appear more congenial. "What… what happened to your eyes?"
"Contacts. I really did not liked my old eye color - Busuzima had chosen the maroon shade for me."
"…Interesting," Long commented quietly. "Why did you not choose brown or something of the sort?"
"Because I don't want to steal your identity."
"That is rather ironic, you know," was the awry remark.
"…I never asked for my life to come into existence this way," Shenlong informed him, sounding a bit resentful. "I do take responsibility for the hazardous events occurring three years ago, even though I wasn't fully aware of what was happening."
His compatriot hesitated, seeming perplexed. "…Why this sudden attitude change? You are… acting immensely different from three years ago with the Zoanthrope Liberation Front affiliation… and that other night as well…"
"That ninja zoanthrope ally of yours wasn't the only one entangled in the mind-controlling situation," he notified.
"I presume that you are talking about Kenji, not Bakuryu, by the 'ninja' reference, right?"
"Yes."
"…So Busuzima used the mind-controlling effects on you also…" Long realized, his voice portraying sympathy.
"That's correct."
"And the other night…?"
"You can thank Xion for that." Shenlong remarked coolly, a fire of anger igniting in his eyes at the name. "Apparently, it seems Bryan and I are popular targets. Of course, I feel really flattered about that." His tone had an obvious note of sarcasm in it.
…We all misjudged him, then. "… …I apologize."
"…? What for?"
"I misdeemed you. We all assumed the worse without really finding out the truth." The Kenpo master admitted with a sigh.
"It's alright. Under the circumstances of the time a couple years ago, your presumptions were understandable."
He has changed a lot indeed. It seems as if he is a completely different person… "I still feel a bit amazed at your newly refined personality and attitude."
"Well, hopefully, these changes of mine are for the better." His twin gave him a small, timid grin. "My own encounter with Xion has gotten me to see things in a different prospective."
"So you are connected to him also…" Long trailed off, looking thoughtful. "I wonder if you would know more about him than Kenji… There is a meeting tonight in which he will strive to explain to us what happened between him and Xion."
"I know some things, but not a lot. I'm not sure if my information will conflict with the ninja's or not."
"Perhaps you should come to the meeting," the Kenpo master suggested a bit hesitantly, seeming somewhat unsure.
His companion gave him a wry smile. "How would the others react to the sight of me, especially given my background?"
"I am hoping that Jane will help me explain the situation to them…"
"What situation?"
The two men met each other's eyes. "That we have reached a tolerable understanding of one another."
His double nodded. "Fine with me."
"So we agree on a truce?" Long proposed, extending his hand, looking at the other tiger sincerely.
"Truce." Was the mutual agreement. The green-eyed zoanthrope clasped his own hand with his compatriot and bowed slightly in courtesy.
"…You know, I think we should proceed back inside to the teahouse…" the Kenpo master said, sounding a little abashed as he continued with, "I'm afraid that I was being quite impolite in abruptly yanking you away from your Danielle accomplice…"
"Perhaps it was a bit discourteous of you, but it was for a good reason," Shenlong remarked sensibly.
As the two allies began walking back around to the entrance, Long suddenly thought of something. "Does Danielle know about your… status? As in, how you… came into existence?"
"She knows that I was…cloned…but she isn't informed of whom the original is."
"If she takes a good look at the two of us, I doubt it would be hard to figure out…" he sighed.
Reaching the double doors that led into the facility, his twin encircled his fingers around the handle to push open the door, but then looked back at his companion and told him, "Oh, by the way, I go by a different alias now…"
"…Really? What do you prefer to be called?"
"Shawn. Shawn Le."
Upon hearing the name change, Long nodded and gave him a small smile of approval. "I think that will be a fresh new start for all of us… Shawn."
End of Chapter 19