Chapter 5
Hard Delivery
Every night before I go to bed I meditate for an hour. There are little to no nightmare in my sleep, which is good. But tonight for some odd reason my terrors return in my dreams.
This time I am in a desert waste land. The sun beat down on me and there were no sign of life anywhere. I start to walk hoping I get to a town, or some kind of civilization. Suddenly the ground shook; it was like an earthquake as huge circular stone pillar shot up from the ground. Another one across from me did the same as did a third and a fourth. They surrounded me in a square. Then the sky drew dark as black night very quickly. What was going on? The sand around began move by itself and started to come together and form some kind of figure. Thunder boomed all around and lightning crashed through out the sky as the sand completed it form. I then recognized it as Hartuki. The sand covering it exploded with another crash of lightning and there stood the ninja. But this time I wasn't afraid of him, but I wondered what it wanted. He suddenly drew his sword and I knew what he wanted. I got into my stance that Master Lee taught me and the ninja came running at me, with his sword trusted towards my heart. I wasn't ready for this, in fact I was trying to get out of the way, but I was stuck in the sand. Hartuki was coming closer and I screamed.
I woke up screaming. Damn, he is getting stronger. But at least I wasn't afraid this time. I looked at my digital clock and it was five in the morning. Well at least I made it through the night.
I had to get over to Mr. Lee's with the puzzle box. I still haven't figured it out. Maybe Fen can help me out with it. We both just sat there still examining it.
"Maybe there is a book on it?" Fen suggested. "My grandfather perhaps, left one in his library?"
"You mean like a manual?" I asked.
"No, I was hoping like a description of it, history, that kind of stuff," She replied.
"You think there is one?" I wondered.
"I'm not sure, we could look?"
"That could take time," I said. "Something I don't have."
"Lets just look," She said, "Come on."
Moments later we were buried in books galore. We must've looked in about ten out of fifty books and still found nothing. We sat there reading for an hour then my eyes were drawn to her. How beautiful she was. I just wanted to pause time for moment, just to admire her. She glanced up and politely smiled.
"Hey Fen? I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to, you know, freak when I tell you ok?" I said.
"What it is Michael?" She asked.
I sighed and then said, "I'm a mutant."
She didn't freak. She just looked at me and said, "I know, I over heard you and father last night."
"And you're not freaked?" I wondered.
"Michael, it's the new millennium," She said, "Mutants are common like AIDs and terrorism, and we have to accept it in our everyday life."
That thought really made me feel much better. Like having someone take a load of bricks off my back. I smiled even more then I decided, ask her out.
"Say, you want to um, go have some pizza on Saturday night after I make this delivery?" I asked.
She sighed, "Mike, don't go tonight. I beg you. He is not man to trust."
"Look, if I don't, he won't get off my back. He'll hunt me down like an animal, " I explained, "Besides, you father's been training me all week. So there nothing to worry about."
"I know, I just feel," Fen paused, "Something could go wrong, and you could get killed."
"Nothing could go wrong, " I replied, "I promise you I'll come back in one piece. Ok?" She nodded and I asked, "So, how about it?"
She looked at me and answered, "Only if you come back in one piece."
"You got it," I smiled and lightly kissed her and she kissed back.
We then went back to work as soon as her father came in the store. There were magic between us. I could feel it. Dinnertime was coming and we were all hungry. Master Lee ordered Chinese food and was about to go get it until I offered to go and pick it up. I took the shop's bike that Fen used to make her deliveries and went out to get the food. About a half an hour later, I returned with the food.
"Guys, Din…" When I entered, shop was ransacked. I dropped the food and call out," Master Lee? Fen?" I heard a faint moan and followed it towards the back room in to the office, and found Master Lee lying on the floor. His hand was blocking his stomach, which was covered in red blood.
"Oh my god," I gasped, "Master Lee. I-I'll get an ambulance."
"No," he said weakly, "Fen, They took Fen. Michael," He swallowed, "Remember what I have taught you."
He cringed and I was horrified. Master Lee, was more than my mentor, he was like a father to me. My father would never teach me what I have learned. He was against all of my interests. I looked down at him he stopped breathing and died. Those bastards. The Black Dragon will pay for this. My rage began to rise. Before I left I called an ambulance and got ready. I put on the Yuko Master Lee has given me, took the puzzle box. I stopped and realized that we never figured out how to open it, well, I hope Mr. Husati would take it. I took Fen's bike and rood off to the docks.
It was nearly a quarter to ten when I finally got there. I looked around and all I saw were rows corrugated metal boxes. The only light was the street lamps and lamps from the warehouse buildings. I got off the bike and left it lying next to the storage building and went into the maze of boxes until I got to a break. There stood Mr. Husati and few of his associates. Even the warrior I met that first night.
"So, you have finally arrived," Mr, Husati said, "I was thinking you not show up."
"Where is Fen?" I asked a little harshly.
"Where is my suit?" He retorted.
"I told you I threw it away, but got something better," I replied taking out the puzzle box, "Now where's Fen?"
I then heard a muffled scream and turned to see Fen hanging from a crane fifty feet up over the Hudson River. I turned back to Mr.Husati now enraged. First her father now her.
"Let her go!" I ordered.
"Open the box boy, and show me what of Hartuki's you have in it," He replied.
I looked at and started to force it open but the lid would not budge. The key is on the box, Master Lee said. Mr. Husati was getting impatient.
"If you do not open the box in thirty seconds your girlfriend will take long plunge to her grave," he ordered.
Thirty seconds? Is he kidding? It didn't matter I have to open this box. The key is on the box, the key is...I turned it underside and saw weird design. It didn't look right. It looked all jumbled, like it needs to… hold on, it's like one of those slide puzzles. Only twenty seconds as I tried franticly to slide and solve it. Ten seconds to go and I only had it half done. I was racing against time and time was short.
"Five, Four, three, two, One!" Mr. Husati said.
And at the count was don the puzzle was completed and the picture was an oriental key design. Well Mr. Lee was right; the key was on the box. The box clicked and opened and inside was the grappling hook.
"Here," I said, "Now let her go!"
"Do you take me for a fool?" He wondered
"We made a deal!" I said.
"The deal was for the suit, not for a toy." He retorted, "Kill him and the girl."
My eyes widen in shock as the warrior ninja drew his sword and moved towards me with lightning reflexes. I quickly grabbed the grappling gun from the box aimed at him, and fired. The hook grabbed the ninja's leg and I quickly ran towards him dodging his blow, with the inch between my head and his blade. I pulled the handle on the gun and the micro chain was tightened as the warrior tripped and fell. Another warrior grabbed me from behind as I flipped him over and kicked him in the stomach. Two more came at me with their Sias, as I used my new mutant power on them.
"Retsu!" I cried as a red beam of energy blasted them as they went flying into the water.
I looked at where Fen was and the crane was moving. I was running towards it when Oroto commanded, "Shoot him!"
His gang of thugs took out their guns and started to fire on me. I rolled out of the way and then remembered the word Sho. It was word of true defense. I stopped, kneeled, and placed my hand together in a shape of a covering, and shouted, "Sho!"
The gunmen continued to fire at me, but strangely I wasn't hit, as a matter of all the bullets ricocheted and hit the entire gunmen. I didn't want to know how that happened, because to my shock Fen fell down into the water.
"Fen!!!" I shouted, ran as fast as I could and dove in to save her.
I swam and grabbed her around the waist. I quickly untied her and swam up to the surface. We both gasped for air, then Fen looked and hugged and kissed me.
"How touching," We both turned out heads and there was Mr. Hustati and his ninja warrior aiming his gun at us, "Too bad its not going to last and I wouldn't try using that power, mutant."
Just as we were about to see the last or our days, a string of webbing grabbed both their weapons and it was pulled from their hands. We both looked to find out who it was and it was Spider-Man clinging on to the crane. It seemed that he took out the crane operator and he already disarmed, Mr. Husati and his ninja.
"Fancy meeting you here, " quipped Spider-Man.
"Kill him," Oroto said to his henchman.
"It would be my pleasure," The ninja said as he sprung in to action, flipping towards his sword.
Fen and I climbed out of the water, but just before I got my foot on the dock, Ororto kicked me in the head. Fen screamed as I was knocked down, but I got up and I was faced with Oroto.
"So mutant, you have learned of the old ways of Aikido," Mr. Husati said, "but that will not save you." He then got in to a fighting stance and fiercely attacked me with a large punch.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man was dipping and dodging the ninja's sword attacks. Every swipe the ninja did Spider-Man easily evaded his katana. Spider-Man flipped backwards as the warrior tried to slice him in sushi.
"Whoa, careful with that thing," said Spider-Man, "Someone could get hurt."
He jumped high and flipped over him as the ninja took a swipe at nothing. Spider-Man landed behind him and before the ninja reacted the human arachnid spun a webbing to cover him in a cocoon. He squirmed a bit but the web was like steel and the ninja just gave up.
Mr. Husati is good. I tried to block all of his moves, but I can't get a shot in him. I like to you use my new powers, but it didn't seem fare. I finally got a hit in as I kicked him the stomach. He staggered back a bit then he balanced him self, ran, and jumped kicked me right in the chest. I fell on my back as it felt like he took the wind out of me.
"You are good mutant," He said, "but now I must end it."
He reached inside his jacket and produced some throwing stars. He was about to throw it, until I raised my hands and shouted "Sie!" I remember this word, as it was the word of storms. Suddenly red like lightning shot from my hands and hit Mr. Husati. Oroto twitched, cried, and flew on his back.
"The name is Shadow Knight, not mutant," I proclaimed as I got up.
I don't know why I chose that name; I guess it sort of fitted me.
"Are you Ok Mike?" Fen said running to me.
I hugged her and replied, "Yeah. Fen," I didn't know how to tell her about her father, but I tried, "Fen, your father, he's-"
Her eyes watered and I knew how she felt. She started to cry as if she knew what I was going to say.
"I'm so sorry," I sad hugging her.
I know I am not Hartuki, but, I am what I can be, a person who wants to help others. I then heard sirens in the distance as looked up to see that Spider-Man leapt, spun a line, waved at us and swung away. I was hesitant too leave to, but my gut instinct told me to stay and explain all this to the police.
When the police arrived they didn't know what happened, but they new that Oroto was going to jail. Fen and I met Captain Riley and Detective Sullivan. They gave us warm blankets to wear as we talked to them.
"Ok, let me get this straight," Detective Sullivan started, "You came down here to exchange a grappling hook for your girlfriend, but Mr. Oroto didn't like the trade, so he tried to deep six her? Then Spider-Man shows up and starts an all out war with them while you dove in and saved Ms. Lee. Am I missing anything?"
We shook our head. But then the detective went on, "Oh yeah there is one thing I don't understand. How did Mr. Oroto get electrocuted?"
"Well, you see, Spider-Man had some type of weapon in his hand that shot out electricity bolts," I lied.
"Really?" The detective wondered as we both nodded.
"Well you two are lucky to be alive. We've been after this guy for months now," the detective said to us as the paramedic was wheeling Mr. Oroto in an ambulance. He was still alive, which is good, I didn't want to kill him, "Once Mr. Oroto is back on his feet we'll contact you for court dates."
Court date? Of course, we both nodded again as Sergeant called Det. Sullivan over, "You two be alright?" He asked us as we just nodded again.
Once the Det. Sullivan left I looked at Fen. Such a delicate flower now shattered as if she was thrown on the ground and smashed. She started to cry again as I held her. She kept muttering of her father's death. That was it. I swore from that day on that I would protect the innocent and vanquish the evil so something like this would not happen again. Maybe that is why Hartuki became the Shadow Knight? Well for what ever the reason was, it was my turn to become the Shadow Knight.