March 17th

Kwai Chang Caine had spent the night watching over Lo Si. The hospital reluctantly accepted that he was next of kin for The Ancient but would not allow him into the other patient's rooms in ICU. He had received word that two of the other victims had died in the night and it made his heart ache.

The hospital used a test to check for the specific venom used. They called it ELISA. Under different circumstances, the process would have fascinated him. The venom was from a snake called the Common Krait. An Indian snake. He was not surprised. He knew who the enemy was, that much had been clear from his time in the astral with his son.

The doctor told him they were calling every zoo in the country to find the right anti-venin. It was a race against time. Meanwhile, his oldest friend was in a medically induced coma, intubated, with tubes and wires coming out of his body. The bed he was on tilted to keep the leg below his heart although at this point it was merely procedure. One machine tested his blood pressure every 15 minutes. It was always high. Lo Si had never had high blood pressure in the past. It was part of the poison in his system.

Caine was allowed to stay because he kept out of the way and didn't interfere with the doctors and nurses. He knew that in this case, all he could do was minister to The Ancient's qi. He didn't know how the poison was altered by the Harbingers and knew that it was safest to wait to mingle their qi until the poison was neutralized. He just didn't think waiting was an option. He took his friend's hand in his and willed a portion of his qi to join with his friend's. "Hold on, my friend. Just hold on."

"Again."

Peter made a sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh. He was rewarded with a slap to the back of his head.

"Again," Miranda repeated.

"Yes, Sifu." He said, swallowing his anger at the slap. He was surprised she didn't take offense at being called Sifu as it was a Chinese term, but he refused to call her Master. There were connotations to that word that he didn't want her to get in her mind. He started the kata again. He had thought things were coming easier. But the better he got the more she picked apart what he was doing. He remembered this from the temple as well. It had annoyed him then, too.

She walked around him, watching his every movement critically. "No." She said and he stopped, holding his stance. She adjusted his position. "Like this. Again… this time do it right."

"I'm beginning to miss the snake." He grumbled.

He felt her foot in his chest before he saw her make a single move. He was propelled off the Tatami and onto the hardwood floor beyond, the wind knocked out of him. This he did not remember from the temple.

"Get up." She growled.

Peter coughed and fought to draw breath for several seconds.

"I said get up."

He pushed himself upright and went back to the mat.

"Again." She said, this time in a gentler tone. As he did so she resumed her circling. "This is not a temple for training children. You are not learning this as a cardio workout for pacifist monks. If you wish to live, you will learn to do this as I instruct you. And you will not mouth off while doing it."

"Yes, Sifu." It was all he trusted himself to say. He was tired. They had been at this for hours. The more tired he got the more mistakes he made, and the more she punished him for not paying attention. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked during one of the brief pauses.

"Other than the obvious, no." She said. "This is important, Peter. You have to learn this correctly."

"Why?" He asked. "I'm never leaving this place. We both know this is just… going through the motions. I'm never going to be part of this order. You're going to get tired of the game you're playing and you're going to throw me back into ... that cell."

"Are you trying to make me hurt you, Peter?" She asked stepping closer to him.

He was 6'2, and a full head taller than the woman before him, but he was not at all ashamed of the fact that she scared the hell out of him.

"No… I'm really not." He said. He wanted to live through this ordeal, and one day, maybe he could have something resembling a life back. Pissing her off was not the way to accomplish that. "But I don't understand where this is going."

She reached up and took his chin in her hand. "Because you are required to become part of the order. It was always going to be this way."

"Why?" He asked. "I'm always going to be a prisoner. It makes no sense."

"By Shaolin logic, you will then be unworthy and the Prophesy will be unmade."

"And somehow the entire Shaolin faith as well." He shook his head "I don't understand any of this."

She released his chin and patted his cheek. "You don't have to, because I do." She told him. "Just do as you're told, and don't worry about the why."

He nodded. He didn't believe he was going to make or break the art of Kung Fu or the faith that created it. It was insanity to think anyone could do such a thing through their actions, much less lack of action 1500 years after the fact.

"Good. Tomorrow, if you remember what we have worked on today we will move on to the next set of Katas." She said.

He nodded.

"Go get cleaned up. Cook is preparing roast beef for dinner tonight."

He didn't say another word, he got out of that room as quickly as possible. Once in his cell, he went straight for the shower. He was a mass of bruises from previous training sessions and he was certain by morning another would form on his chest where she'd planted her foot.

He sank to the floor of the shower and let the water rush over him while he got his emotions under control. He was all over the place today. Anger, fear, frustration, resignation. He wasn't going to get through this at all if he didn't get them under control and keep them there.

The water was starting to cool before he got to his feet and quickly scrubbed the sweat from his body. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist, then walked into his bedroom.

He was surprised to find Kline sitting on his bed.

"Get out," Peter said and walked over to his closet to figure out what he was going to wear downstairs to dinner.

"You're getting full of yourself aren't you." Kline sneered.

"Nope, I have always been full of myself." Peter said, "It would be weird to be full of someone else, don't you think." He said sarcastically. "I don't know where you've been lately but I have not missed you."

"I was in Chinatown yesterday." He got to his feet and walked over to Peter.

"Good for you." Peter said "Next time you're there you should go over to Chen's. They have the best Char Siu Bao. " He said pulling on a pair of pants.

"The one they call The Ancient… he's now going to be called The Corpse."

Peter blanched, but said nothing for several seconds. Just because he felt betrayed by him didn't mean he didn't love that old man. "And why is that?" He asked finally.

"I poisoned him," Kline said, with a smirk. "Snake venom."

Peter lashed out in a way he had not done since the orphanage. He didn't fight with just one form, it was a mixture of Kung Fu, Elapidae, and the hand-to-hand he had been taught in the police academy. What he lacked in advanced skill he made up for in absolute rage.

"I said, get out." He said as he forced the now black, blue, and bloodied Kline out the door. He closed it, then sank to the floor and leaned against it. "God, Lo Si." He buried his face in his hands. He got to his feet a few minutes later. "Well, that was probably not the smartest thing I've done… " In anticipation of an enraged kidnapper, he changed into sweatpants and a plain white tee shirt. This was going to land him in the cellar. But he'd do it again without a single regret. He stretched out on the bed to await his punishment.

Paul Blaisdell put his wife and daughters on a plane bound for Los Angeles. He was going to miss them but he was glad to see them go. Especially with this latest attack in Chinatown. His family was too closely connected with that district not to worry about it bleeding over onto his loved ones. It may have already cost him his son.

Once back at the precinct he paused, before going into his office, to address his detectives. "I know not all of you are assigned to or for that matter familiar with Chinatown." It had usually been assigned to Peter and whomever he was partnered with. "But we have 3 dead Chinese gentlemen due to yesterday's poisonings. So until further notice, I want all of you on this. Sort it out before it turns from poison to submachine guns."

"Captain?"

"Yes, Skalany."

"Was The Ancient among those killed?" She had more awareness of Chinatown and its residents than most.

"Not yet." He said "But it's not looking good. When last I spoke with Caine he said the hospital was calling around trying to find the right anti-venin. If you're the praying kind he could use all of them he can get."

Miranda entered Peter's room and sat down on the bed beside him. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You know you're not the first person to ask that." He said, his tone was quiet, resigned. "But I get the feeling you're going to be the last."

"Perhaps." She said.

"Did I just land myself back downstairs?" He felt like a teenager asking if he was grounded.

"I am considering it." She said. "Can you give me one good reason not to?"

"Nope." He said honestly. "He was standing there gloating about how he had just murdered a friend of mine and I lost it. I'm not sorry I did it. If the situation occurs again, you better believe I'll do it again. I'm going along to get along, but I am not broken. Not yet."

"Do you want to be?" She asked, "Do you need that excuse to fully yield?"

"I will never yield to that man," Peter said. "You would have to turn my brain to Jello before I would yield to him. I don't trust him. You shouldn't trust him. He's up to something. I don't know what but that man is crooked as a corkscrew."

"Is he…" She said and sighed. "I cannot allow you to get off scot-free for your actions. I have to keep peace in my den. You're not a guest, you're a prisoner of war, Peter. Even the servants outrank you."

"I understand." He said. "How long?"

"I haven't decided." She told him. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Peter sat up and got off the bed. He glared at Kline who was standing in the doorway, a smirk on his swollen and bruised face. "It's a shame to trade Roast Beef for a peanut butter sandwich." He said as he headed toward the door. "But you know the saying. 'Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." He shouldered past Kline into the hallway.

"What is that, some sort of modern Shaolin principle." Kline spat.

Peter looked over his shoulder at the man "What rock did you grow up under?" He asked. "That's from Bareta." He looked at Miranda "Seriously, I grew up in a temple and I knew that."

He was terrified of that cell. It had always felt like he was sitting in his own grave when he was there. But that man had murdered Lo Si. If they ever succeeded in turning him into one of their damned assassins Edward Kline was going to be the first man he killed. Until then… well Peter saw a lot of time in the cell in his future, because he was going to beat that man every time he could find an excuse. His father wouldn't approve… but where was his father when those close to him needed him? Probably saving another homicidal waif, like Sharyl Hines. He wondered if that was how Miranda ended up with Kline.

"I'll take him down, You go put some ice on your nose." She said and expected instant obedience from her lackey. She didn't look back to make sure she was getting it.

Peter didn't put up a fight. He didn't beg not to be put back in the dark. It wouldn't do any good. Besides, he might feel like he was walking the last mile but he knew he wasn't and that damned serpent was always there. Even in the light.

She didn't put the hood over his head as the others had. She let him see the outer chamber. It was a nightmare chamber as far as Peter was concerned and it all focused on a giant black serpent. Peter didn't recognize the breed. It wasn't a cobra, it had the wedge-shaped head of a viper but not one that he'd ever seen. Not that he was a herpetologist.

The room was entirely done in black. Black walls, floors, and the dais that the 20-foot snake set upon was black as was the throne in front of it. The area before the dais looked like an arena for fighting… or for killing.

"This is where initiations take place, isn't it."

"Yes"

"And I have to fight and survive to be initiated."

"Yes, but you cannot revert to your Kung Fu. It must be fought with Elapidae. Do you understand?"

"I'm beginning to."

"Good." She said and unlocked the door to the cell and opened it. "I will see you in 5 days."

He nodded and stepped inside. He flinched as the door shut and locked, sealing him in darkness. He found the mattress where he left it and sank down, letting himself cry for the loss of a friend. Lo Si had betrayed them both, as far as Peter was concerned, but he loved that old man anyway.

Caine had not left his friend's side since arriving at the hospital. The staff of course saw this as a priest being a priest and ministering to the sick and dying. Caine knew it for what it was. A selfish act in a way. He was there because his heart couldn't bear to lose anyone else. Because if he lost Lo Si there would be no one left to help him save his son… save his qi … his soul. There would be no one to hold him to his vows and prevent him from going on a vendetta against the Harbingers for taking his son.

The herpetologist from the local zoo was telling him that the anti-venin would be coming in from the Los Angeles zoo and should be arriving shortly after noon, but it was barely registering.

"A strong man can survive an Indian Krait bite without the anti-venin." He said. "Some had severe symptoms for several days before either making a full recovery or succumbing. Your friend, although being the oldest patient, seems to be hanging on far better than the others. "

"They would not let me see the others," Caine said simply. "Lo Si has always been healthy, and much stronger than his body appears. He will survive this." The Ancient would live to be much older if Kwai Chang Caine had anything to do with it.

"I hope you're right. So far he is the only survivor." The man shook his head "Snakes get such a bad reputation, really all they want is to be left alone. Did you know you practically have to step on a rattlesnake for it to bite? And now someone has gone and found a way to use snakes as assassination tools. " He shook his head "It's a shame for both the victims and the snake as well."

Caine could not say he felt very sympathetic toward snakes at the moment. He knew exactly who was responsible for this and why. Their purpose was twofold. To attack the heart of the Shaolin in Bayview, and to keep him from reaching out to his son. Even Kwai Chang Caine could only fight a war one battle at a time. The Harbingers were keeping Peter alive, while Lo Si had to fight for his life. Caine made the choice the enemy knew he would. He wondered why they had not targeted him as well. And then he realized… Peter. He had made a deal of some sort, it had to be. Perhaps he had not lost him after all.