Notes: For those of you who don't know Mandarin, there's no such phrase as
"er jin long." It was the closest I could find. However, I asked my
Chinese teacher, and she gave me the correct phrase. But because I am an
idiot, I left it at my aunt's house, and didn't feel like waiting till I go
there again. You're all about to rip my insides out, anyway. In fact,
NONE of this is edited. My point: I'll fix it later. Just enjoy the story
for now.
Oh yeah, next update- not sure when. Hopefully I'll be able to cook something up during the remainder of my vacation, but I doubt it. This story is getting ridiculously long, and it's time to get it at least halfway finished. But if not now, then I don't know when - possibly at the end of June. Goddamn Regents. New York Board of Ed (no, I'm sorry, *Department* of Ed--I guess they couldn't take the joke) SUCKS!!!!!! GAAHH!!!!!!!!!! And Bloomberg!!! He SUCKS!!!!!! No smoking in bars anymore?!?!? What the bloody hell!?!?!?! ::ends political rant::
Avery- The fates are most certainly against us. I got a new email (soy_queen@yahoo.com), and I sent you an email...but I don't think it went through. I sent emails to other people, but I don't think *that* went through. ~.~ What should we do? Get a private message board? This is getting tiring.
THE DEMON WITHIN
Chapter Fourteen: Ill Omens
Private libraries are expected by most to be a cozy little room, where one can sit by the fireplace and dive into whatever book that might suit the person's fancy. Yet now, in this library, all was dark and silent, save for the dim ticking of the grandfather clock behind him, across the room. Not even a fire was lit on the hearth. Only the barest of moonlight shined in through the French windows. The room was freezing.
The old man was huddled up in his red Afghan on the great leather chair, in a deep but troubled sleep. Occasionally he would mutter something incoherent, and shift his position slightly, but he never woke up.
In his mind's eye he could see unfamiliar faces, yet he knew who they were: a dark-haired woman fighting some sort of invisible force, a wrestler choosing might over mind, a frightened little girl--and all these images were consumed in fire and dispersed until there was only one person, one man, who was all these things and did not know it. And he was consumed in fire as well; the world shattered to pieces, bit by bit, and the people resisted---
Er jin long...
But the eyes of the dragon were so red, so very red, and they burned, they all burned; the end was coming in a terrible storm of fire and betrayal--!
ER JIN LONG ER JIN LONG ER JIN---
The old man awoke with a start.
Suddenly, the French windows barged open, the lock now broken, and a terrible gust of wind burst forth. The old man squinted in the direction of the window, horrified, but at the same time determined to be victorious against its might. Papers that were previously on the desk now flew everywhere. But he looked on, unpeturbed.
Finally, it stopped.
The old man took a deep breath and stumbled backward to lean against his chair. Gasping, he looked about wildly, until his eyes met the grandfather clock on his right. It was eleven o'clock.
The room was still.
"He will soon rise," the old man whispered to himself. "The Son of the Golden Dragon."
************
Riding the number six bus at eleven o'clock at night was not a pleasant experience for Olivia Pennyworth. It wouldn't be for anyone, as a matter of fact. It was eerily empty, save for careening junkie in the back, who sat across from alcohol-stenching bum. Although she sat at the very front, close to the driver, Olivia couldn't untwist the knot forming in her stomach. She looked around the dark streets of San Francisco frantically. Thank goodness she didn't have too far to go. In fact, this bus stopped just a block away from Uncle's Rare Finds. (Olivia marveled at the title of the store--did this "uncle" have a name?)
The disturbing vacancy of nighttime San Francisco was not the only thing that consternated Olivia. Although she was aware of her surroundings, her thoughts always managed to crash back to the three American crooks with frightening velocity. What had become of them? She remembered their last meeting; this scene ran through her mind countless times, so that she almost knew every movement and every word spoken by heart.
After leaving O'Brien's disturbing meeting, Olivia and Finn had found Ratso and Chow easily enough; their only problem was the security guards, who had patrolled nonstop on every floor. It made Olivia even more angry at Finn for shooting that enforcer.
First they forayed into a small doctor's office. Finn, gun in hand, explored the room as suspiciously as always. Moments later another door opened, and in came a short man with cropped black hair that was beginning to turn gray. He was dressed in the customary B.B. uniform, but he also wore a white doctor's coat over it. He seemed surprised when he saw Finn's gun pointed at him, and he held up his hands.
"Glen!" Olivia cried in delight. "This is my friend, Arnold. He's training to be an Enforcer; I'm showing him the ropes. Arnold, this is Glen, the doctor of the San Francisco B.B. hideout."
"Arnold", masking his confusion behind a controlled demeanor, lowered his gun, and nodded to Glen, who nodded back. Olivia was glad that Finn had decided that he shouldn't speak; there was no way he could fake an English accent.
"He's a bit paranoid, I'm afraid," Olivia said, indicating to Finn's gun.
Glen Lewis seemed unimpressed. "So I see," he said tersely. "Olivia, you shouldn't be out. You did hear the news about the three spies, didn't you?"
"The Americans?" she asked. "Yes, I did; in fact, that's why I'm here. O'Brien has sent guards to patrol the premises, but he also asked me to interrogate the two who were captured. He said it would be good for Arnold here to watch."
"Ahh," Glen nodded and smiled, apparently more interested. "Very good. That's quite an honor, Olivia. You should be proud." He paused. "But then, you always were one of the best Enforcers. You *are* the granddaughter of the Immortal, after all."
Olivia smiled shyly. "Yes, well...I'm apparently not all *that* wonderful. You see, O'Brien told me where to find the two prisoners, but now I've forgotten, I was so excited."
"Silly girl! Just go straight down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and there you have a that sect of the Ministry of Love. All the prisoners are kept there."
"Thank you so much!" Olivia grinned. "Well, I'd best be off. Bye!"
As they left, they could hear Glen in the background: "Tell me how it goes!"
"*Arnold*?" Finn muttered to her, but she only grinned.
As expected, they had found the two captured Enforcers in the Ministry of Love. While Finn waited in the hall, Olivia had journeyed into the room where Ratso, Chow, and a dozen other prisoners were kept, waiting to be called to Room 101. Of course, they didn't know they were waiting for that; the whole lot of them were merely waiting for anything, so long as the brightness of the room would be subdued. Olivia used this fact--and her B.B. uniform--to her advantage. So she walked into the room coolly, found Chow and Ratso, and pointed to them. "You two," she said in her B.B. monotone. "Room 101."
Ratso seemed confused. "Room 101? What's that?" He turned to Chow for an answer, but he merely tensed.
Olivia began to walk away, indicating that the two should follow them. They did. They followed her outside the room, at which point they were gathered into a suffocating bear hug via Finn.
"Guys! We found you!" Finn said, smiling.
But the moment Finn touched him, Chow screamed at his friend's sudden motion. Apparently, he was very phobic, Olivia gathered.
Naturally, the scream attracted the attention of the guards. Somehow, they managed to slip through the security system, and found themselves in the garage, where armed men were boarding black van after black van.
"Where are they going?" asked Ratso.
Olivia peered at the scene gravely. "To Thorne's."
"Good." Finn nodded. "We'll sneak into the back of one. (Guys, I'll fill you in later.) Olivia, can you get out on your own?"
"Yes."
"All right." He turned to her, and allowed himself a small smile. "Good luck."
At that time, Olivia had been thinking about that dead Enforcer on the stairs, and the ubiquitous puddle of blood. Finn *was* a criminal; but technically, so was she. That didn't make Finn's action right, but maybe she should put that aside for now. He was about to enter a gang fight: this might be their last meeting. Olivia jumped into his arms and remained there for several minutes. She could stay mad at him as long as he was alive, but Death required, if anything, forgiveness. She then hugged Chow and Ratso, and watched them board the van.
Olivia had waited several minutes until all the vans had departed. Then, silently, she herself exited through the garage door.
At length the bus passed the shop, and Olivia pressed on the vertical stretch of black tape. (By now she had figured out that if there was no one waiting at the bus stop, the bus would drive past it unless someone pressed this black tape.) A beep sounded from where the driver sat, and it stopped at the next stop. Olivia said goodbye, but the driver only grunted. Shrugging to herself, Olivia stepped outside. In a puff of carbon dioxide, the bus was gone.
Olivia hugged herself for warmth, but it didn't work. She wished she had brought a jacket. Shaking her head and shivering, she started down the long block to Uncle's Rare Finds. It was dark and deserted, and she was most scared. Lights shone dimly in the lamps on the corners, and from the huge signs in Chinese characters. Most of the stores were really restaurants (the ducks hanging in the windows were a dead giveaway--no pun intended). Olivia marveled at it all.
"Wow," she murmured. "So this is Chinatown. Amazing..."
However, she was very cold, and still scared, so she hurried. She came to Uncle's shop in no time. But she frowned at it. Oddly, the shop looked sad. The huge "ANTIQUES" sign wasn't even lit up, and through the large display windows she could see dim lights inside. There was a sign on the door which read "CLOSED."
Unable to tolerate the cold any longer, Olivia ignored the sign and locked her hand on the golden knob. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a bent paper clip and jammed into the lock. Gently, she worked on the lock, and in no time she was pushing the door open. A bell jingled from above, surprising her; yet after a few seconds or so, no one seemed disturbed. Letting out a sigh of relief, she shut the door behind her.
Olivia continued down to the register's desk, glimpsing at the antiques around her, most of which were set on their own stands: mostly vases, some things she couldn't quite name, and a beautiful jade dragon. She wanted to touch it, but she thought better of it and turned her attention to the clerk's desk. No one was there. There was a door behind it, but it was closed. There wasn't any bell to ring, either.
After thinking for a moment, Olivia resolved to venture up the narrow set of stairs she saw on the right. It creaked and groaned with every step, and it actually sounded quite eerie. Gulping down her trepidation, Olivia continued until she reached the top. Now she could go one of two ways: but she heard voices on the left, where more rooms were, so she headed in that direction, making sure to keep her steps light and thus the creaks to a minimum.
The voices were coming from a half-open door that shone comforting yellow light into the dark of the hall. Upon peering into the room, Olivia witnessed two people sitting on a bed: a bald man in a trench coat comforting a little Chinese girl, who was sobbing into her hands. Olivia frowned still. Suddenly the reason why the child was crying occurred to her, and she felt her heart sink; but she listened anyway.
"Jade...Jade, look..." began the bald man, but his words seemed to be caught in his throat--or rather, he didn't know what to say at all. So he closed his mouth and rubbed the girl's back.
But Jade wasn't silent. "I don't understand," she said through muffled sobs. "Uncle Jackie couldn't have just gotten up and leave like that! He couldn't! Why would he...?"
The bald man was silent.
"...It was Shendu, wasn't it?" Jade asked quietly.
The bald man was silent still. Finally he said, just as quietly, "It's getting late, Jade. I think you should go sleep."
"But Captain Black, I--"
"*Jade.*"
She was already in her pink nightgown. Wiping away a tear, the girl crawled under the covers and sank her head into the pillow. She looked away from Captain Black. "I hope Jackie's okay."
Captain Black stared down at his shoes. "So do I," he said softly.
Then Jade broke into more sobs, and Captain Black sat down on the bed, waiting. He still stared down at the floor, and his face was so dark, Olivia was almost scared of him. His eyes became angry slits of emerald green. His hands had formed into fists, and they were trembling.
"I didn't mean it, Captain Black," Jade suddenly cried. She turned to face him.
It was obvious that it took a great deal of strength for the captain to keep his voice appropriate for Jade. "Mean what, Jade?"
Jade stared down at the coverlet. She suddenly quieted somewhat. "I wished he would go away."
Captain Black stared at her. "What do you mean?"
A sob escaped her mouth as she explained: "I'm sorry. I was mad at him. He blamed something on me, and that's why I was grounded.... I was so mad I wished he would just go away, I thought he was a lousy uncle. I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
But she wasn't sobbing anymore. Captain Black reached over and patted her hand.
"It's all right," he said. "No one blames you for anything. I....don't think Jackie was entirely himself."
"I know," she murmured. "It was really Shendu, I think."
Black had his mouth in a grimace. "Jade. It's eleven-thirty..."
"I know," Jade sighed. She turned her back to him, her head sunk deep into the pillow. "G'night."
After a pause, Black murmured, "Goodnight."
Olivia watched the captain sit on the bed, still as stone. Most people did so when they either are paying close attention to a particular sound or are terribly frightened. Judging by the glint in his emerald eyes that the light of the moon revealed, Olivia didn't think that either applied to Captain Black. In fact, he seemed very far away; and not because he seemed forlorn or even in shock, in which he case he wouldn't be able to think rationally. On the contrary, Olivia guessed that he seemed distant simply because he *was* thinking rationally--he was contemplating his current situation and calculating his options. Olivia didn't have to guess why he was the head of a government organization.
"Aiiiiiiiyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"AAHH!"
Olivia spun on her heels to meet a skinny old man with wild white hair and tiny spectacles. He was, Olivia vaguely noted, considerably shorter than herself--at least five feet tall. His tiny eyes were wild, and his finger was suddenly pointed in her face.
"Thief! Out of my shop!" he accused, and Captain Black ran into the hall to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" he shouted, and suddenly noticed Olivia. "Who are you?"
Olivia backed up until she was against the wall, her hands raised as a sign of peace. "Huh? No, no--I'm not a thief--!"
"Of course you are! Hmmph! Uncle has learned by now that thieves do not always wear masks!"
Suddenly, they all heard a dull rumble, and out came--of all things--a giant sumo wrestler, wearing a blue pajamas and a blue night cap. "What is- -a thief!"
Olivia was annoyed. "I'm not a thief! I--I--came to assit you!"
"Hmmph! Uncle needs no assistance! Tohru, ge--"
"It's about your, ah--your nephew, ah--Chan! Jackie Chan!" she blurted out.
At this the old man went silent; he stared at her bewildered for a moment, but then he appeared to be in control again, eyeing her suspiciously-- possibly even malevolently.
"How do you--" he began quietly, but something rushed past Captain Black, making him gasp, and stopped right in front of Olivia.
"What do you want with Uncle Jackie? Whose side are you on?" demanded the little girl, poised in a fighting stance. Olivia stared down at fierce, but childish face of Jade Chan. "Talk, or I'll show you the ancient art of butt-whoop!"
"I'm here to help," Olivia explained, but the Chans and the captain and Tohru only slightly eased themselves. "I can explain everything..."
"Then explain," Jade ordered, and she sounded very much like Jackie, noted Black.
After Olivia had agreed, they all moved down to the kitchen and sat at the table. Captain Black, out of habit, prepared a batch of coffee for Uncle and himself. Before the coffee was even ready, Olivia began her tale. She explained the story of Big Brother--who Captain Black was familiar with-- and of Rudyard Pennyworth--of whom Uncle knew. (This was all new to Jade and Tohru, and they listened with full attention, especially Jade.)
"And so," Olivia concluded, "Shendu is turning back to his original goal, before he made a deal with his siblings: to destroy Asia and enslave the rest of the world!"
"And he plans to get the talismans' power from Jackie!" Jade added. Then she quirked an eyebrow. "Interesting story, but it's got one whole: How can Shendu get the talismans' power from Jackie if he's still a spirit?"
Olivia steepled her fingers. "I never said anything of the sort, my dear," she replied, and Jade looked more confused than ever. Olivia addressed the entire group now: "Do any of you know why Shendu created the talismans?"
They thought for a moment, but Uncle knew the answer right away, and he answered gravely: "For power." He paused. "Shendu was the youngest of his siblings...he wanted more power than any of them; he wanted power *over* them, and everyone else."
"Precisely." Olivia nodded. "He still craves that power; it is his nature."
"Great," said Jade, rolling her eyes. "Now what does that have to do with Jackie?"
"Quite a bit. Shendu doesn't plan to extract the power from Jackie; he can't. As you said, he is only a spirit---right now. No, rather, he plans to use the talismans...well, *through* Jackie."
"*Through* him?" Captain Black asked. "What do you mean?"
Olivia was about reply, but Uncle beat her to it. "In the mirror!" he exclaimed. "Jackie saw Shendu's face in the mirror, and we could not! It happened during the spell, at the Fish Cannery..."
"So they have some sort of a connection, you mean?" Jade asked.
"Yes, that's it!" Olivia confirmed. "A tiny bit of Shendu resided...well...*within* Jackie, along with the power of the talismans. And this bit of Shendu spoke to him in his dreams, and sometimes in his waking hours, until Jackie's thoughts became convoluted, and he only knew what Shendu *wanted* him to know. He remembered every wrong done people had done to him, and vice versa. Guilt blew him hard, but Shendu made that guilt turn into resentment--towards others."
The company was silent. Jade and Tohru looked horrified, but Black and Uncle did their best to stay stoic, though for Uncle it was harder. As a matter of fact, Uncle seemed almost...angry.
Olivia continued: "So finally, I imagine, Jackie somehow became aware of the power that was in him. Like anyone, he wanted that power--"
"Aiiyaa! That cannot be!" Uncle suddenly interrupted. "Jackie does not want power! Years ago, I told him he would be my apprentice, but he refused! Said he did not want magic! Did not believe in it!"
"Yeah," Jade agreed. "Jackie's always saying how he's 'just an archaeologist.'"
"That may be," Olivia said, "but he may still desire power. It is human nature. He may be humble, as you say, but everyone wants power, to some degree. Eventually, the talismans would have corrupted him. He might start using the powers to do good--he seems like someone who would, humble or not. But slowly, he would get accustomed to the idea of having power, and like it.
"At any rate, that's what happened; the only difference is that Shendu sped up the process. He managed to convince Jackie that having this power would somehow work to his advantage. I don't know what advantage that might be; I think that depends on Jackie's character, and how he thinks. Maybe he did it to ignore the guilt--blaming others for one's own mistakes is easier than dealing with those mistakes."
"Of course!" Jade exclaimed. "He blamed something on me, and I got in trouble...long story."
Despite Olivia's argument, and Jade's claim, Uncle still did not seem convinced. He had his arms crossed stubbornly, and he was staring down at the table. "Hmmph. Uncle does not believe that! Not like Jackie!"
Having been raised in a more enlightened manner than most of her peers at Big Brother, Olivia only just managed to bury the urge to retort, "Well, no, I suppose having a three thousand-year old *demon* corrupting your soul doesn't really change you, even if you are generally good-natured." But Olivia decided that saying that would only anger Uncle further. She was sure that he was having a hard enough time dealing with his nephew's disappearance; he didn't need a snotty, sharp-tongued teenage girl lecturing him on philosophy. Yet, in a sense, that's what she had been doing since they'd discovered her upstairs. Well, if they didn't know this already, then of *course* she had to enlighten them! It was only fair.
Finally, Olivia thought of something to say: "Well you're going to have to believe it, because that's what's happening. Denial will only lead to catastrophe."
"Okay," Captain Black said, leaning on the table impatiently, "but how is Shendu going to use the power through Jackie? And what about the snake and the horse?--those two powers are still in their talisman form, and Shendu's got them."
"He's going to cast a spell," Olivia said. "He's going to...unite himself with Jackie. At the stroke of the Thirteenth Hour..."
"One o'clock?!" Captain Black seemed surprised. He checked his watch. "It's already twelve-thirty."
Everyone gasped, and Uncle held his head, crying, "Aiiiiyaaa!!!! Too soon! Need to find a spell to counter Shendu's!"
"Chh!" Jade rolled her eyes. "That's not gonna happen, especially since we don't know *what* spell he's using! I bet he got it from the Demon Archive."
While everyone had fallen into a panicked state, Tohru had finally decided to say something. Normally, Tohru was rather quite during meetings such as these--not that they occurred often at the Chans'--but when he had something to say, it was usually helpful. Now, it was to calm everyone: "I suppose we should find them now. Maybe we can *stop* Shendu from casting the spell."
"But where are they?" asked Captain Black.
To this, a slightly mischievous smile contorted on Olivia's face. "San Diego. Two-hundred twenty-four Palm Street."
"San Diego?! Aiiiyaa!" shrieked Uncle. "We'll never make it in time!"
"We'll take a jet from Section 13," Captain Black assured him. His face was firmly set, and his eyes glinted with determination and intelligence. Olivia decided that she could definitely appreciate this man. "The fastest we have."
The company agreed and, without wasting any time, they set off.
Oh yeah, next update- not sure when. Hopefully I'll be able to cook something up during the remainder of my vacation, but I doubt it. This story is getting ridiculously long, and it's time to get it at least halfway finished. But if not now, then I don't know when - possibly at the end of June. Goddamn Regents. New York Board of Ed (no, I'm sorry, *Department* of Ed--I guess they couldn't take the joke) SUCKS!!!!!! GAAHH!!!!!!!!!! And Bloomberg!!! He SUCKS!!!!!! No smoking in bars anymore?!?!? What the bloody hell!?!?!?! ::ends political rant::
Avery- The fates are most certainly against us. I got a new email (soy_queen@yahoo.com), and I sent you an email...but I don't think it went through. I sent emails to other people, but I don't think *that* went through. ~.~ What should we do? Get a private message board? This is getting tiring.
THE DEMON WITHIN
Chapter Fourteen: Ill Omens
Private libraries are expected by most to be a cozy little room, where one can sit by the fireplace and dive into whatever book that might suit the person's fancy. Yet now, in this library, all was dark and silent, save for the dim ticking of the grandfather clock behind him, across the room. Not even a fire was lit on the hearth. Only the barest of moonlight shined in through the French windows. The room was freezing.
The old man was huddled up in his red Afghan on the great leather chair, in a deep but troubled sleep. Occasionally he would mutter something incoherent, and shift his position slightly, but he never woke up.
In his mind's eye he could see unfamiliar faces, yet he knew who they were: a dark-haired woman fighting some sort of invisible force, a wrestler choosing might over mind, a frightened little girl--and all these images were consumed in fire and dispersed until there was only one person, one man, who was all these things and did not know it. And he was consumed in fire as well; the world shattered to pieces, bit by bit, and the people resisted---
Er jin long...
But the eyes of the dragon were so red, so very red, and they burned, they all burned; the end was coming in a terrible storm of fire and betrayal--!
ER JIN LONG ER JIN LONG ER JIN---
The old man awoke with a start.
Suddenly, the French windows barged open, the lock now broken, and a terrible gust of wind burst forth. The old man squinted in the direction of the window, horrified, but at the same time determined to be victorious against its might. Papers that were previously on the desk now flew everywhere. But he looked on, unpeturbed.
Finally, it stopped.
The old man took a deep breath and stumbled backward to lean against his chair. Gasping, he looked about wildly, until his eyes met the grandfather clock on his right. It was eleven o'clock.
The room was still.
"He will soon rise," the old man whispered to himself. "The Son of the Golden Dragon."
************
Riding the number six bus at eleven o'clock at night was not a pleasant experience for Olivia Pennyworth. It wouldn't be for anyone, as a matter of fact. It was eerily empty, save for careening junkie in the back, who sat across from alcohol-stenching bum. Although she sat at the very front, close to the driver, Olivia couldn't untwist the knot forming in her stomach. She looked around the dark streets of San Francisco frantically. Thank goodness she didn't have too far to go. In fact, this bus stopped just a block away from Uncle's Rare Finds. (Olivia marveled at the title of the store--did this "uncle" have a name?)
The disturbing vacancy of nighttime San Francisco was not the only thing that consternated Olivia. Although she was aware of her surroundings, her thoughts always managed to crash back to the three American crooks with frightening velocity. What had become of them? She remembered their last meeting; this scene ran through her mind countless times, so that she almost knew every movement and every word spoken by heart.
After leaving O'Brien's disturbing meeting, Olivia and Finn had found Ratso and Chow easily enough; their only problem was the security guards, who had patrolled nonstop on every floor. It made Olivia even more angry at Finn for shooting that enforcer.
First they forayed into a small doctor's office. Finn, gun in hand, explored the room as suspiciously as always. Moments later another door opened, and in came a short man with cropped black hair that was beginning to turn gray. He was dressed in the customary B.B. uniform, but he also wore a white doctor's coat over it. He seemed surprised when he saw Finn's gun pointed at him, and he held up his hands.
"Glen!" Olivia cried in delight. "This is my friend, Arnold. He's training to be an Enforcer; I'm showing him the ropes. Arnold, this is Glen, the doctor of the San Francisco B.B. hideout."
"Arnold", masking his confusion behind a controlled demeanor, lowered his gun, and nodded to Glen, who nodded back. Olivia was glad that Finn had decided that he shouldn't speak; there was no way he could fake an English accent.
"He's a bit paranoid, I'm afraid," Olivia said, indicating to Finn's gun.
Glen Lewis seemed unimpressed. "So I see," he said tersely. "Olivia, you shouldn't be out. You did hear the news about the three spies, didn't you?"
"The Americans?" she asked. "Yes, I did; in fact, that's why I'm here. O'Brien has sent guards to patrol the premises, but he also asked me to interrogate the two who were captured. He said it would be good for Arnold here to watch."
"Ahh," Glen nodded and smiled, apparently more interested. "Very good. That's quite an honor, Olivia. You should be proud." He paused. "But then, you always were one of the best Enforcers. You *are* the granddaughter of the Immortal, after all."
Olivia smiled shyly. "Yes, well...I'm apparently not all *that* wonderful. You see, O'Brien told me where to find the two prisoners, but now I've forgotten, I was so excited."
"Silly girl! Just go straight down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and there you have a that sect of the Ministry of Love. All the prisoners are kept there."
"Thank you so much!" Olivia grinned. "Well, I'd best be off. Bye!"
As they left, they could hear Glen in the background: "Tell me how it goes!"
"*Arnold*?" Finn muttered to her, but she only grinned.
As expected, they had found the two captured Enforcers in the Ministry of Love. While Finn waited in the hall, Olivia had journeyed into the room where Ratso, Chow, and a dozen other prisoners were kept, waiting to be called to Room 101. Of course, they didn't know they were waiting for that; the whole lot of them were merely waiting for anything, so long as the brightness of the room would be subdued. Olivia used this fact--and her B.B. uniform--to her advantage. So she walked into the room coolly, found Chow and Ratso, and pointed to them. "You two," she said in her B.B. monotone. "Room 101."
Ratso seemed confused. "Room 101? What's that?" He turned to Chow for an answer, but he merely tensed.
Olivia began to walk away, indicating that the two should follow them. They did. They followed her outside the room, at which point they were gathered into a suffocating bear hug via Finn.
"Guys! We found you!" Finn said, smiling.
But the moment Finn touched him, Chow screamed at his friend's sudden motion. Apparently, he was very phobic, Olivia gathered.
Naturally, the scream attracted the attention of the guards. Somehow, they managed to slip through the security system, and found themselves in the garage, where armed men were boarding black van after black van.
"Where are they going?" asked Ratso.
Olivia peered at the scene gravely. "To Thorne's."
"Good." Finn nodded. "We'll sneak into the back of one. (Guys, I'll fill you in later.) Olivia, can you get out on your own?"
"Yes."
"All right." He turned to her, and allowed himself a small smile. "Good luck."
At that time, Olivia had been thinking about that dead Enforcer on the stairs, and the ubiquitous puddle of blood. Finn *was* a criminal; but technically, so was she. That didn't make Finn's action right, but maybe she should put that aside for now. He was about to enter a gang fight: this might be their last meeting. Olivia jumped into his arms and remained there for several minutes. She could stay mad at him as long as he was alive, but Death required, if anything, forgiveness. She then hugged Chow and Ratso, and watched them board the van.
Olivia had waited several minutes until all the vans had departed. Then, silently, she herself exited through the garage door.
At length the bus passed the shop, and Olivia pressed on the vertical stretch of black tape. (By now she had figured out that if there was no one waiting at the bus stop, the bus would drive past it unless someone pressed this black tape.) A beep sounded from where the driver sat, and it stopped at the next stop. Olivia said goodbye, but the driver only grunted. Shrugging to herself, Olivia stepped outside. In a puff of carbon dioxide, the bus was gone.
Olivia hugged herself for warmth, but it didn't work. She wished she had brought a jacket. Shaking her head and shivering, she started down the long block to Uncle's Rare Finds. It was dark and deserted, and she was most scared. Lights shone dimly in the lamps on the corners, and from the huge signs in Chinese characters. Most of the stores were really restaurants (the ducks hanging in the windows were a dead giveaway--no pun intended). Olivia marveled at it all.
"Wow," she murmured. "So this is Chinatown. Amazing..."
However, she was very cold, and still scared, so she hurried. She came to Uncle's shop in no time. But she frowned at it. Oddly, the shop looked sad. The huge "ANTIQUES" sign wasn't even lit up, and through the large display windows she could see dim lights inside. There was a sign on the door which read "CLOSED."
Unable to tolerate the cold any longer, Olivia ignored the sign and locked her hand on the golden knob. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a bent paper clip and jammed into the lock. Gently, she worked on the lock, and in no time she was pushing the door open. A bell jingled from above, surprising her; yet after a few seconds or so, no one seemed disturbed. Letting out a sigh of relief, she shut the door behind her.
Olivia continued down to the register's desk, glimpsing at the antiques around her, most of which were set on their own stands: mostly vases, some things she couldn't quite name, and a beautiful jade dragon. She wanted to touch it, but she thought better of it and turned her attention to the clerk's desk. No one was there. There was a door behind it, but it was closed. There wasn't any bell to ring, either.
After thinking for a moment, Olivia resolved to venture up the narrow set of stairs she saw on the right. It creaked and groaned with every step, and it actually sounded quite eerie. Gulping down her trepidation, Olivia continued until she reached the top. Now she could go one of two ways: but she heard voices on the left, where more rooms were, so she headed in that direction, making sure to keep her steps light and thus the creaks to a minimum.
The voices were coming from a half-open door that shone comforting yellow light into the dark of the hall. Upon peering into the room, Olivia witnessed two people sitting on a bed: a bald man in a trench coat comforting a little Chinese girl, who was sobbing into her hands. Olivia frowned still. Suddenly the reason why the child was crying occurred to her, and she felt her heart sink; but she listened anyway.
"Jade...Jade, look..." began the bald man, but his words seemed to be caught in his throat--or rather, he didn't know what to say at all. So he closed his mouth and rubbed the girl's back.
But Jade wasn't silent. "I don't understand," she said through muffled sobs. "Uncle Jackie couldn't have just gotten up and leave like that! He couldn't! Why would he...?"
The bald man was silent.
"...It was Shendu, wasn't it?" Jade asked quietly.
The bald man was silent still. Finally he said, just as quietly, "It's getting late, Jade. I think you should go sleep."
"But Captain Black, I--"
"*Jade.*"
She was already in her pink nightgown. Wiping away a tear, the girl crawled under the covers and sank her head into the pillow. She looked away from Captain Black. "I hope Jackie's okay."
Captain Black stared down at his shoes. "So do I," he said softly.
Then Jade broke into more sobs, and Captain Black sat down on the bed, waiting. He still stared down at the floor, and his face was so dark, Olivia was almost scared of him. His eyes became angry slits of emerald green. His hands had formed into fists, and they were trembling.
"I didn't mean it, Captain Black," Jade suddenly cried. She turned to face him.
It was obvious that it took a great deal of strength for the captain to keep his voice appropriate for Jade. "Mean what, Jade?"
Jade stared down at the coverlet. She suddenly quieted somewhat. "I wished he would go away."
Captain Black stared at her. "What do you mean?"
A sob escaped her mouth as she explained: "I'm sorry. I was mad at him. He blamed something on me, and that's why I was grounded.... I was so mad I wished he would just go away, I thought he was a lousy uncle. I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
But she wasn't sobbing anymore. Captain Black reached over and patted her hand.
"It's all right," he said. "No one blames you for anything. I....don't think Jackie was entirely himself."
"I know," she murmured. "It was really Shendu, I think."
Black had his mouth in a grimace. "Jade. It's eleven-thirty..."
"I know," Jade sighed. She turned her back to him, her head sunk deep into the pillow. "G'night."
After a pause, Black murmured, "Goodnight."
Olivia watched the captain sit on the bed, still as stone. Most people did so when they either are paying close attention to a particular sound or are terribly frightened. Judging by the glint in his emerald eyes that the light of the moon revealed, Olivia didn't think that either applied to Captain Black. In fact, he seemed very far away; and not because he seemed forlorn or even in shock, in which he case he wouldn't be able to think rationally. On the contrary, Olivia guessed that he seemed distant simply because he *was* thinking rationally--he was contemplating his current situation and calculating his options. Olivia didn't have to guess why he was the head of a government organization.
"Aiiiiiiiyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"AAHH!"
Olivia spun on her heels to meet a skinny old man with wild white hair and tiny spectacles. He was, Olivia vaguely noted, considerably shorter than herself--at least five feet tall. His tiny eyes were wild, and his finger was suddenly pointed in her face.
"Thief! Out of my shop!" he accused, and Captain Black ran into the hall to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" he shouted, and suddenly noticed Olivia. "Who are you?"
Olivia backed up until she was against the wall, her hands raised as a sign of peace. "Huh? No, no--I'm not a thief--!"
"Of course you are! Hmmph! Uncle has learned by now that thieves do not always wear masks!"
Suddenly, they all heard a dull rumble, and out came--of all things--a giant sumo wrestler, wearing a blue pajamas and a blue night cap. "What is- -a thief!"
Olivia was annoyed. "I'm not a thief! I--I--came to assit you!"
"Hmmph! Uncle needs no assistance! Tohru, ge--"
"It's about your, ah--your nephew, ah--Chan! Jackie Chan!" she blurted out.
At this the old man went silent; he stared at her bewildered for a moment, but then he appeared to be in control again, eyeing her suspiciously-- possibly even malevolently.
"How do you--" he began quietly, but something rushed past Captain Black, making him gasp, and stopped right in front of Olivia.
"What do you want with Uncle Jackie? Whose side are you on?" demanded the little girl, poised in a fighting stance. Olivia stared down at fierce, but childish face of Jade Chan. "Talk, or I'll show you the ancient art of butt-whoop!"
"I'm here to help," Olivia explained, but the Chans and the captain and Tohru only slightly eased themselves. "I can explain everything..."
"Then explain," Jade ordered, and she sounded very much like Jackie, noted Black.
After Olivia had agreed, they all moved down to the kitchen and sat at the table. Captain Black, out of habit, prepared a batch of coffee for Uncle and himself. Before the coffee was even ready, Olivia began her tale. She explained the story of Big Brother--who Captain Black was familiar with-- and of Rudyard Pennyworth--of whom Uncle knew. (This was all new to Jade and Tohru, and they listened with full attention, especially Jade.)
"And so," Olivia concluded, "Shendu is turning back to his original goal, before he made a deal with his siblings: to destroy Asia and enslave the rest of the world!"
"And he plans to get the talismans' power from Jackie!" Jade added. Then she quirked an eyebrow. "Interesting story, but it's got one whole: How can Shendu get the talismans' power from Jackie if he's still a spirit?"
Olivia steepled her fingers. "I never said anything of the sort, my dear," she replied, and Jade looked more confused than ever. Olivia addressed the entire group now: "Do any of you know why Shendu created the talismans?"
They thought for a moment, but Uncle knew the answer right away, and he answered gravely: "For power." He paused. "Shendu was the youngest of his siblings...he wanted more power than any of them; he wanted power *over* them, and everyone else."
"Precisely." Olivia nodded. "He still craves that power; it is his nature."
"Great," said Jade, rolling her eyes. "Now what does that have to do with Jackie?"
"Quite a bit. Shendu doesn't plan to extract the power from Jackie; he can't. As you said, he is only a spirit---right now. No, rather, he plans to use the talismans...well, *through* Jackie."
"*Through* him?" Captain Black asked. "What do you mean?"
Olivia was about reply, but Uncle beat her to it. "In the mirror!" he exclaimed. "Jackie saw Shendu's face in the mirror, and we could not! It happened during the spell, at the Fish Cannery..."
"So they have some sort of a connection, you mean?" Jade asked.
"Yes, that's it!" Olivia confirmed. "A tiny bit of Shendu resided...well...*within* Jackie, along with the power of the talismans. And this bit of Shendu spoke to him in his dreams, and sometimes in his waking hours, until Jackie's thoughts became convoluted, and he only knew what Shendu *wanted* him to know. He remembered every wrong done people had done to him, and vice versa. Guilt blew him hard, but Shendu made that guilt turn into resentment--towards others."
The company was silent. Jade and Tohru looked horrified, but Black and Uncle did their best to stay stoic, though for Uncle it was harder. As a matter of fact, Uncle seemed almost...angry.
Olivia continued: "So finally, I imagine, Jackie somehow became aware of the power that was in him. Like anyone, he wanted that power--"
"Aiiyaa! That cannot be!" Uncle suddenly interrupted. "Jackie does not want power! Years ago, I told him he would be my apprentice, but he refused! Said he did not want magic! Did not believe in it!"
"Yeah," Jade agreed. "Jackie's always saying how he's 'just an archaeologist.'"
"That may be," Olivia said, "but he may still desire power. It is human nature. He may be humble, as you say, but everyone wants power, to some degree. Eventually, the talismans would have corrupted him. He might start using the powers to do good--he seems like someone who would, humble or not. But slowly, he would get accustomed to the idea of having power, and like it.
"At any rate, that's what happened; the only difference is that Shendu sped up the process. He managed to convince Jackie that having this power would somehow work to his advantage. I don't know what advantage that might be; I think that depends on Jackie's character, and how he thinks. Maybe he did it to ignore the guilt--blaming others for one's own mistakes is easier than dealing with those mistakes."
"Of course!" Jade exclaimed. "He blamed something on me, and I got in trouble...long story."
Despite Olivia's argument, and Jade's claim, Uncle still did not seem convinced. He had his arms crossed stubbornly, and he was staring down at the table. "Hmmph. Uncle does not believe that! Not like Jackie!"
Having been raised in a more enlightened manner than most of her peers at Big Brother, Olivia only just managed to bury the urge to retort, "Well, no, I suppose having a three thousand-year old *demon* corrupting your soul doesn't really change you, even if you are generally good-natured." But Olivia decided that saying that would only anger Uncle further. She was sure that he was having a hard enough time dealing with his nephew's disappearance; he didn't need a snotty, sharp-tongued teenage girl lecturing him on philosophy. Yet, in a sense, that's what she had been doing since they'd discovered her upstairs. Well, if they didn't know this already, then of *course* she had to enlighten them! It was only fair.
Finally, Olivia thought of something to say: "Well you're going to have to believe it, because that's what's happening. Denial will only lead to catastrophe."
"Okay," Captain Black said, leaning on the table impatiently, "but how is Shendu going to use the power through Jackie? And what about the snake and the horse?--those two powers are still in their talisman form, and Shendu's got them."
"He's going to cast a spell," Olivia said. "He's going to...unite himself with Jackie. At the stroke of the Thirteenth Hour..."
"One o'clock?!" Captain Black seemed surprised. He checked his watch. "It's already twelve-thirty."
Everyone gasped, and Uncle held his head, crying, "Aiiiiyaaa!!!! Too soon! Need to find a spell to counter Shendu's!"
"Chh!" Jade rolled her eyes. "That's not gonna happen, especially since we don't know *what* spell he's using! I bet he got it from the Demon Archive."
While everyone had fallen into a panicked state, Tohru had finally decided to say something. Normally, Tohru was rather quite during meetings such as these--not that they occurred often at the Chans'--but when he had something to say, it was usually helpful. Now, it was to calm everyone: "I suppose we should find them now. Maybe we can *stop* Shendu from casting the spell."
"But where are they?" asked Captain Black.
To this, a slightly mischievous smile contorted on Olivia's face. "San Diego. Two-hundred twenty-four Palm Street."
"San Diego?! Aiiiyaa!" shrieked Uncle. "We'll never make it in time!"
"We'll take a jet from Section 13," Captain Black assured him. His face was firmly set, and his eyes glinted with determination and intelligence. Olivia decided that she could definitely appreciate this man. "The fastest we have."
The company agreed and, without wasting any time, they set off.