Ch. 2: To Kill A Stranger
Shina woke slowly, reluctantly. Her head throbbed in pain as consciousness took over. Her eyes were a haze; she could barely tell where she was. A soft bed, soft sheets, she wanted to just go back to sleep. She began to nod off, when a strong smell snapped her attention. She shot up, her eyes wide open
"WHOA!" she yelled.
"I'm sorry about the whiff of ammonia, but I didn't feel like standing here for another three hours," a familiar female voice said. Shina adjusted her eyes, and saw Kane and Sarah.
"I'll go tell the commander that she is awake." Kane said as he turned to leave.
Shina looked at Sarah, who smiled as he left. "You really love him, don't you? Almost four years, and you're still not married?" she asked.
"We're married in our hearts, that's all that matters," Sarah replied. "I guess people just display their feelings in different ways."
Shina began to say something, when the door opened. "Shina, the commander will see you now." Kane said. Shina rose to her feet, and was escorted down a long hallway. They stopped at a door, and Kane stood by as Shina entered. A man sat behind an ebony desk, nervously looking at some papers. He was a large man, with wild silver hair and a defining scar over his left eye. It was a face Shina would never forget.
"What's this all about, Dad?"
Alan Gado looked up, and smiled at his adopted daughter. "I'm sorry about the secrecy, and if Kane roughed you up a bit, but we had to keep this a quiet as possible. You know I've never been one to beat around the bush, so here's the deal. There's a tournament being held in a few days. We need you to enter it in order to investigate a man. All the specs are in that folder."
"Next time you could just call. What's in it for me?"
"I certainly raised you to be a mercenary," Gado laughed. He slid a check to Shina. Her eyes widened at the sight of the payment. Gado quickly snatched it. "As you can see, this will be a very dangerous mission. I know you'll be able to handle it. You'll need to stay here, until then. I hope you don't mind"
Shina grinned, and walked towards her room. She walked in, and sat on the bed. Sarah was gone, so she opened the folder and looked at it's content. A detailed description of the mission caught her eye.
"I am to enter the Tournament and keep an eye on the 'Red Dragon' guy." She ruffled through the papers and found a dossier on Red Dragon. "Real name: unknown. Age unknown. Unknown, unknown, unknown! Not much help." She grumbled. She ran through the dossiers to find the ones on her teammates.
"Kane Darkholm," she mumbled, "age: 24. ... I already know him. Kenji Ohgami, mission communications. He's not fighting? I guess that's understandable, with his wife expecting twins soon. Sarah Reilly, medical. She's not fighting either. Here we go. Irvine Christians, age 26. Street brawler grew up in Brooklyn. He's tough as nails, from the look of him. And Victoria Styles, age 30...whoa. I wouldn't want to run in to her in a dark alley. She's a Judo and Jujutsu master, long history of mental disorders. She could be a loose cannon. And last is..." Her eyes widened as she saw his name. She threw the dossier down, and rubbed her forehead.
She paced around, trying to regain her composure. She breathed deeply, and sat back down. "Let's see about this tournament. Team based tournament, elimination format. Last team standing wins. Fights are single round..."
Her eyes widened in shock for the second time that night. ""...to the death. Man, these are some high stakes." She thought. Well, this certainly explains why Kenji won't enter. I guess he doesn't want his kids growing up without a father. But why does "he" have to go?"
That question dwelled on her as she approached a small boat. The tournament was being held in two days. The walked up the rickety ramp and looked around. She saw Kane on the deck, performing a kata. He moved with such grace and fluidity, Shina could barely believe he was once a 7 ft. tall Vale Tudo student. It was a beautiful thing to watch. He used all five stances, the tiger, the leopard, the crane, the snake, and the dragon. As he ended, Sarah ran over, and kissed him.
"He always seems so emotionless, so calm and collected, except when she's around. It seems as if he's truly found internal balance and peace," she thought.
She walked over to them and looked at Kane. "You think you could explain your style to me? I've always been curious about it."
"Sure. It's a long ride anyway," Kane replied with a grin. " In Shaolin, there are five primary animals that we draw inspiration from. The five animals are called the 'Five Chuans' and each was named for the animal that best exemplified its attributes. The tiger has clawing motions that possess great strength and speed. It strengthens the bones, emphasizes leaping and pouncing. The leopard is powerful and explosive for it's size. This chuan is for agility with powerful internal strikes. The dragon demonstrates loose floating motions and whipping movements. It emphasizes lightness, stillness, and change. The crane disturbed the balance of others while maintaining its own, and develops concentration, stability, accuracy, and determination. The flexible snake uses inner breathing, and crackles with inner power and attacks the enemy's vital points."
As Kane wrapped up his explanation, Shina looked downwards. Kenji was on the dock, giving his pregnant wife a goodbye kiss. Uriko was nearly as big as a house, but she was carrying two children, after all, and she didn't have a large frame to begin with. He grabbed his briefcase and walked up. Ahead were the two new people. Victoria was muscularly built, and had a crazed look in her eyes, which contrasted Irvine's dark skin and tall, thin build. She looked past them, and saw the last member of the team. Her eyes narrowed with a mixed look of sorrow and indignation.
"Long ..." she said under her breath.
Shina woke slowly, reluctantly. Her head throbbed in pain as consciousness took over. Her eyes were a haze; she could barely tell where she was. A soft bed, soft sheets, she wanted to just go back to sleep. She began to nod off, when a strong smell snapped her attention. She shot up, her eyes wide open
"WHOA!" she yelled.
"I'm sorry about the whiff of ammonia, but I didn't feel like standing here for another three hours," a familiar female voice said. Shina adjusted her eyes, and saw Kane and Sarah.
"I'll go tell the commander that she is awake." Kane said as he turned to leave.
Shina looked at Sarah, who smiled as he left. "You really love him, don't you? Almost four years, and you're still not married?" she asked.
"We're married in our hearts, that's all that matters," Sarah replied. "I guess people just display their feelings in different ways."
Shina began to say something, when the door opened. "Shina, the commander will see you now." Kane said. Shina rose to her feet, and was escorted down a long hallway. They stopped at a door, and Kane stood by as Shina entered. A man sat behind an ebony desk, nervously looking at some papers. He was a large man, with wild silver hair and a defining scar over his left eye. It was a face Shina would never forget.
"What's this all about, Dad?"
Alan Gado looked up, and smiled at his adopted daughter. "I'm sorry about the secrecy, and if Kane roughed you up a bit, but we had to keep this a quiet as possible. You know I've never been one to beat around the bush, so here's the deal. There's a tournament being held in a few days. We need you to enter it in order to investigate a man. All the specs are in that folder."
"Next time you could just call. What's in it for me?"
"I certainly raised you to be a mercenary," Gado laughed. He slid a check to Shina. Her eyes widened at the sight of the payment. Gado quickly snatched it. "As you can see, this will be a very dangerous mission. I know you'll be able to handle it. You'll need to stay here, until then. I hope you don't mind"
Shina grinned, and walked towards her room. She walked in, and sat on the bed. Sarah was gone, so she opened the folder and looked at it's content. A detailed description of the mission caught her eye.
"I am to enter the Tournament and keep an eye on the 'Red Dragon' guy." She ruffled through the papers and found a dossier on Red Dragon. "Real name: unknown. Age unknown. Unknown, unknown, unknown! Not much help." She grumbled. She ran through the dossiers to find the ones on her teammates.
"Kane Darkholm," she mumbled, "age: 24. ... I already know him. Kenji Ohgami, mission communications. He's not fighting? I guess that's understandable, with his wife expecting twins soon. Sarah Reilly, medical. She's not fighting either. Here we go. Irvine Christians, age 26. Street brawler grew up in Brooklyn. He's tough as nails, from the look of him. And Victoria Styles, age 30...whoa. I wouldn't want to run in to her in a dark alley. She's a Judo and Jujutsu master, long history of mental disorders. She could be a loose cannon. And last is..." Her eyes widened as she saw his name. She threw the dossier down, and rubbed her forehead.
She paced around, trying to regain her composure. She breathed deeply, and sat back down. "Let's see about this tournament. Team based tournament, elimination format. Last team standing wins. Fights are single round..."
Her eyes widened in shock for the second time that night. ""...to the death. Man, these are some high stakes." She thought. Well, this certainly explains why Kenji won't enter. I guess he doesn't want his kids growing up without a father. But why does "he" have to go?"
That question dwelled on her as she approached a small boat. The tournament was being held in two days. The walked up the rickety ramp and looked around. She saw Kane on the deck, performing a kata. He moved with such grace and fluidity, Shina could barely believe he was once a 7 ft. tall Vale Tudo student. It was a beautiful thing to watch. He used all five stances, the tiger, the leopard, the crane, the snake, and the dragon. As he ended, Sarah ran over, and kissed him.
"He always seems so emotionless, so calm and collected, except when she's around. It seems as if he's truly found internal balance and peace," she thought.
She walked over to them and looked at Kane. "You think you could explain your style to me? I've always been curious about it."
"Sure. It's a long ride anyway," Kane replied with a grin. " In Shaolin, there are five primary animals that we draw inspiration from. The five animals are called the 'Five Chuans' and each was named for the animal that best exemplified its attributes. The tiger has clawing motions that possess great strength and speed. It strengthens the bones, emphasizes leaping and pouncing. The leopard is powerful and explosive for it's size. This chuan is for agility with powerful internal strikes. The dragon demonstrates loose floating motions and whipping movements. It emphasizes lightness, stillness, and change. The crane disturbed the balance of others while maintaining its own, and develops concentration, stability, accuracy, and determination. The flexible snake uses inner breathing, and crackles with inner power and attacks the enemy's vital points."
As Kane wrapped up his explanation, Shina looked downwards. Kenji was on the dock, giving his pregnant wife a goodbye kiss. Uriko was nearly as big as a house, but she was carrying two children, after all, and she didn't have a large frame to begin with. He grabbed his briefcase and walked up. Ahead were the two new people. Victoria was muscularly built, and had a crazed look in her eyes, which contrasted Irvine's dark skin and tall, thin build. She looked past them, and saw the last member of the team. Her eyes narrowed with a mixed look of sorrow and indignation.
"Long ..." she said under her breath.