Chapter 1:
Red Mist
A young man rushed down the complex alleyways of Hong Kong. Even in the blackness of night he turned corners with incredible speed. A long forgotten reflex caused him to hop over a gate as he hastened his step.
Finally he arrived at an iron door. He rested against a wall to catch his breath then knocked loudly on the door.
"What is it?" Asked a disgruntled voice from behind the thick iron.
"It's me, Liu." The young man answered. "Let me in quick. I have news for the Dragon Head."
The creaky iron door opened. Liu bolted in and almost tripped down the steps. He ran through dark corridors with swarthy Chinese practicing their martial arts. Eventually he ran into a muscular man standing by a door.
"You can't go in, it's the boss's private time." The man explained.
"I have to go in." Liu said "It's important!"
"Can't you wait 'til the he's finished?"
Liu growled. He pushed passed the guard and kicked open the door. The lighting was dim, the air was humid. The Dragon Head was on top of a woman. He lifted his bald head and stared Liu in the eyes.
"What are you doing? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Liu fell to his knees and diverted his eyes.
"I'm sorry sir but, the Chinese Bull has been defeated." Liu quickly explained.
"What!?" The Dragon Head stepped off the bed and slipped into a dressing gown. His whore lay there with a bored expression.
"What about the money?" The Dragon Head asked.
"Well," Liu replied weakly. "It's gone. I bet all the money on Bull as you said."
The Dragon Head growled. He walked to the back of the room and poured an alcoholic beverage into a wine glass. "No one loses the Red Triangle's money and gets away with it. Who was it?"
"A-a man with purple hair." Liu stuttered. "His name was, uh... Violet."
The Dragon Head took a sip of his drink. "Hmm..." He nodded. The Dragon Head turned towards Liu. "Find that bastard, and kill him."
Still diverting his eyes, Liu answered "Right on it, sir." He got up, bowed, then ran out of the room.
***
"What do you mean the odds were 43 to 2?" Lee asked the announcer.
"Someone placed a bet on you." The small man puffed on his cigar. He looked like a monkey to Lee. Lee was irritated, he could've had a larger amount of money if someone else didn't bet on him.
"Just give me my cut."
Reluctantly the announcer counted out a few hundred Hong Kong dollars. Lee took the cash and turned away. Who thought it was a smart move to bet on me?
Lee shrugged, he picked up his carrier bag and walked out of the underground into the cold night air.
"Now what?" He asked himself.
"Hey, leave me alone!" The small voice came from around the corner. Lee's sense of honour lead him to the source of the voice. He stepped around the corner and saw a small boy in the middle of a group of swarthy Chinese. A young man wearing sunglasses had the boy by the collar.
"Listen, your sister should pay the protection money. I'm saying this for your own good. I wouldn't want you or your sister getting hurt." The young man said.
"Leave my sister alone Liu, you meanie!" The boy kicked the man in the stomach. Liu dropped the boy on the ground. The boy tried to escape but was caught be another man. The man raised his hand. Time for action. Lee jumped up and split-kicked two Chinese to the floor. Whilst still in the air, he sent a front-kick to the man holding the boy. Hat trick!
Liu looked around. "Weapons!" He screamed. All the men drew either a sword or a pair of nunchaku. "No one messes with the Red Triangle!" Liu drew his nunchaku from a shoulder strap.
Shit, why didn't I notice the weapons? Lee led the boy behind him with his arm. He stood against seven Triad men, all wielding weapons. At least I knocked out three!
The closest Triad member lunged at Lee with a horizontal strike to his head. Lee ducked it and brought a turning-kick to the man's head. The man fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Shit! He's taken four of us!" Realization hit Liu. "It's him! Violet! Kill him!"
Lee picked up the unconscious man's nunchaku and swung it around his body, alternating hands and moving as fast as light. Hey, I still got it. Lee got cocky and the nunchuk hit him in the stomach. Lee dropped the nunchaku and gripped his stomach in pain.
"I need more practice!"
Liu laughed. "It's a shame to waste a jester!"
"Hey, who are you anyway? Pickin' on little kids." Lee asked.
"I could be your father." Liu answered.
"My father's strong."
"Me too!"
"My father's handsome."
"Me too!"
"My father's got halitosis."
"Me too!" Liu paused. "You're trying to trick me..."
Liu swung his nunchaku wildly at Lee. Lee bobbed and weaved to evade the oncoming attacks. He waited for the right moment. When the moment presented itself, Lee executed a jumping back-kick to Liu's chest. This sent Liu sprawling into his men.
"You call that wushu?" Lee said. "You can't even stand up straight!"
"You bastard!" Liu grabbed a sword off one of his men and charged at Lee. Lee crescent-kicked Liu's sword hand then without placing his foot on the floor sent a side-kick to his head. Liu crumpled on the floor. An imaginary voice in Lee's head said "KO!"
"Alright, who's ne-" THWACK! Lee blacked out.
***
A private jet landed in Hong Kong airport. The door opened. Out stepped a grim youthful man. He stood and looked around. His long silver hair blew about in the wind. He took off his shades and placed them in the pocket of his red Chinese suit. He picked up his carrier bag and strode towards a waiting limousine.
"Zei-Mu!" Said a black suited man. "It's good to see you!"
Red Mist
A young man rushed down the complex alleyways of Hong Kong. Even in the blackness of night he turned corners with incredible speed. A long forgotten reflex caused him to hop over a gate as he hastened his step.
Finally he arrived at an iron door. He rested against a wall to catch his breath then knocked loudly on the door.
"What is it?" Asked a disgruntled voice from behind the thick iron.
"It's me, Liu." The young man answered. "Let me in quick. I have news for the Dragon Head."
The creaky iron door opened. Liu bolted in and almost tripped down the steps. He ran through dark corridors with swarthy Chinese practicing their martial arts. Eventually he ran into a muscular man standing by a door.
"You can't go in, it's the boss's private time." The man explained.
"I have to go in." Liu said "It's important!"
"Can't you wait 'til the he's finished?"
Liu growled. He pushed passed the guard and kicked open the door. The lighting was dim, the air was humid. The Dragon Head was on top of a woman. He lifted his bald head and stared Liu in the eyes.
"What are you doing? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Liu fell to his knees and diverted his eyes.
"I'm sorry sir but, the Chinese Bull has been defeated." Liu quickly explained.
"What!?" The Dragon Head stepped off the bed and slipped into a dressing gown. His whore lay there with a bored expression.
"What about the money?" The Dragon Head asked.
"Well," Liu replied weakly. "It's gone. I bet all the money on Bull as you said."
The Dragon Head growled. He walked to the back of the room and poured an alcoholic beverage into a wine glass. "No one loses the Red Triangle's money and gets away with it. Who was it?"
"A-a man with purple hair." Liu stuttered. "His name was, uh... Violet."
The Dragon Head took a sip of his drink. "Hmm..." He nodded. The Dragon Head turned towards Liu. "Find that bastard, and kill him."
Still diverting his eyes, Liu answered "Right on it, sir." He got up, bowed, then ran out of the room.
***
"What do you mean the odds were 43 to 2?" Lee asked the announcer.
"Someone placed a bet on you." The small man puffed on his cigar. He looked like a monkey to Lee. Lee was irritated, he could've had a larger amount of money if someone else didn't bet on him.
"Just give me my cut."
Reluctantly the announcer counted out a few hundred Hong Kong dollars. Lee took the cash and turned away. Who thought it was a smart move to bet on me?
Lee shrugged, he picked up his carrier bag and walked out of the underground into the cold night air.
"Now what?" He asked himself.
"Hey, leave me alone!" The small voice came from around the corner. Lee's sense of honour lead him to the source of the voice. He stepped around the corner and saw a small boy in the middle of a group of swarthy Chinese. A young man wearing sunglasses had the boy by the collar.
"Listen, your sister should pay the protection money. I'm saying this for your own good. I wouldn't want you or your sister getting hurt." The young man said.
"Leave my sister alone Liu, you meanie!" The boy kicked the man in the stomach. Liu dropped the boy on the ground. The boy tried to escape but was caught be another man. The man raised his hand. Time for action. Lee jumped up and split-kicked two Chinese to the floor. Whilst still in the air, he sent a front-kick to the man holding the boy. Hat trick!
Liu looked around. "Weapons!" He screamed. All the men drew either a sword or a pair of nunchaku. "No one messes with the Red Triangle!" Liu drew his nunchaku from a shoulder strap.
Shit, why didn't I notice the weapons? Lee led the boy behind him with his arm. He stood against seven Triad men, all wielding weapons. At least I knocked out three!
The closest Triad member lunged at Lee with a horizontal strike to his head. Lee ducked it and brought a turning-kick to the man's head. The man fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Shit! He's taken four of us!" Realization hit Liu. "It's him! Violet! Kill him!"
Lee picked up the unconscious man's nunchaku and swung it around his body, alternating hands and moving as fast as light. Hey, I still got it. Lee got cocky and the nunchuk hit him in the stomach. Lee dropped the nunchaku and gripped his stomach in pain.
"I need more practice!"
Liu laughed. "It's a shame to waste a jester!"
"Hey, who are you anyway? Pickin' on little kids." Lee asked.
"I could be your father." Liu answered.
"My father's strong."
"Me too!"
"My father's handsome."
"Me too!"
"My father's got halitosis."
"Me too!" Liu paused. "You're trying to trick me..."
Liu swung his nunchaku wildly at Lee. Lee bobbed and weaved to evade the oncoming attacks. He waited for the right moment. When the moment presented itself, Lee executed a jumping back-kick to Liu's chest. This sent Liu sprawling into his men.
"You call that wushu?" Lee said. "You can't even stand up straight!"
"You bastard!" Liu grabbed a sword off one of his men and charged at Lee. Lee crescent-kicked Liu's sword hand then without placing his foot on the floor sent a side-kick to his head. Liu crumpled on the floor. An imaginary voice in Lee's head said "KO!"
"Alright, who's ne-" THWACK! Lee blacked out.
***
A private jet landed in Hong Kong airport. The door opened. Out stepped a grim youthful man. He stood and looked around. His long silver hair blew about in the wind. He took off his shades and placed them in the pocket of his red Chinese suit. He picked up his carrier bag and strode towards a waiting limousine.
"Zei-Mu!" Said a black suited man. "It's good to see you!"