HEING MEH

Chapter 6

Jade gritted her teeth and drew a deep breath. Here they were, this was their moment. She took a quick look around herself where her friends looked just as nervous as she did. Evy wiped her sweaty hands on her trousers, Jac tapped the floor with his foot as if he had nothing better to do and Åke looked like he could faint at any moment.

"We can not make it. We will just embarrass ourselves." he muttered and Evy slapped him softly.

"Shut up. That will just make it worse." she scolded. Åke rubbed the back of his head and shrugged.

"Sorry, I'm just so nervous." he said.

"So are we. And yet we are not about to die." Jade stated.

It was finally the day, they day that they had practised for and spent sleepless nights. They had worked the whole week and got more and more nervous the closer the Friday evening got.

And now was the moment.

Evy's uncle had done good job and a huge stage was built in the biggest park in San Francisco. It had been made to resemble ancient Egypt and Jade thought it didn't fit their image at all. There was nothing Egyptian in BronzeBasilic, but because they were just the warm up band they didn't complain.

The acoustics and sound reproduction worked so well that the music would be heard everywhere in the park and lots of people had already gathered around. They were supposed to perform in half an hour and they all felt as if the time had completely stopped.

The main performer was some new rock band Jade had once heard about. She liked to follow the music news, but this band had somehow managed to get past her and now it made her feel frustrated. She would have loved to know more about the band.

Åke sighed.

"I hope we just get on the stage soon. Maybe I'll calm down then." he said. The others agreed, though Jade had to wonder how her voice worked in front if real audience. Until now she had only sung to her friends, not even Jackie and others had heard her.

And now she was supposed to sing at such a big crowd and it made a nasty cold tickle go through her.

"If you just rushed on the stage so that we could have our turn too." the singer of the real performer, TD3, stated suddenly and it was not unclear what she thought of Jade and her friends.

Jade frowned at the woman. Just a moment ago TD3 hadn't been any better than them, but now when they had a real concert they thought they were something really special. Jade hadn't heard how they played, but if it was as bad as their manners it couldn't be good.

But what could they do about it? The word of TD3 was the law as long as it didn't cost anything so they couldn't do anything, but walk on the stage in front of people.

There wasn't as much people as there would be and while it was comforting it also made them feel disappointed. All hadn't arrived yet so all wouldn't get to hear them either. Maybe their music would attract others to come, but Jade wasn't feeling very positive.

She saw Jackie, Uncle and Tohru in the crowd and suppressed her desire to wave at them. Instead of that she concentrated in making everything work.

She and Jac were singers, so of course they had been chosen to be the main figures of their band. Bronze scales were painted on their faces and Jac had used gel to get his hair stand up. Jade hadn't done anything to her hair, just made sure it didn't fell in her face during the concert.

For a short moment she felt freezing right there and she was afraid the others would have to carry her away. It would be so embarrassing that she would never again show her face anywhere, but fortunately she managed to get a hold of herself.

"It will be fine." Jac whispered and Jade felt better. At least she wasn't alone.

Oh why couldn't Jade be there alone?

Hsi Wu had taken a human form and climbed in a tree to see over people's heads. He had seen the poster of the concert by accident and of course decided to come and listen.

He hadn't paid for a ticket, he was a demon after all and it was just an honour for these mortals to have him here.

Few times someone had tried to climb in the same tree with him, but Hsi Wu was not about to share his spot with anyone. It was only for himself and everyone who tried to intrude soon noticed the demon had kicked them down and that caused everyone to leave that clearly disturbed boy alone.

Hsi Wu had taken a new human form that was an older version of the child he had used five years ago. It felt somehow good to use the form that represented what he would have looked like if he had been allowed to stay human until he was sixteen.

His hair was dark grey and eyes light brown. The demon was wearing a dark sleeveless shirt that left his arms bare and black trousers. He looked very dark dressed like that, but it was nothing special in a concert like this. In fact he looked rather nice compared to the weird man full of needles and rings he had seen some time ago.

He frowned slightly.

Though it was somehow comforting to be in a form built of familiar genes it also made him nervous. He couldn't remember a thing of being a human and he never wanted to be one again. Somewhere inside his mind was a thought that maybe he became more and more human the longer he was in a human form.

But then the sky demon drove those thoughts away and concentrated in staring at the stage again. In his opinion those three other mortals could have sod off, Jade was the only one who mattered.

Especially that young man who stood uncomfortably close to his slave got Hsi Wu on a bad mood. Who did he think he was?

He watched for a while as Jade and her partners took their places and then leaned back in his tree.

This was better be worth of his time.

Hsi Wu watched as the young man who was fawning on Jade played the first tune and after that they all joined him. The music was louder than he had thought and he had to wonder why mortals wanted to waste their time and destroy their ears in such events like this.

And he didn't even like this new western music. It was too loud and violent. Hsi Wu did appreciate those things in demons and why not in humans, but he thought music was supposed to peaceful and quiet, something that made you relax.

To his disappointment he noticed that this first piece would be sung by Jade's companion and the demon sighed. As long as Jade wasn't singing this was useless.

The piece was the same one BronzeBasilic had practised the same day when they had found out they would be in the concert. It was called "Twilight" and Hsi Wu didn't really like it. Maybe it was because it was sung by Jac or because he didn't even pay attention to it.

He kept his eyes on Jade who played guitar on the stage. Hsi Wu had never tried to instrument himself, so he didn't know if Jade played well or not, but he thought she was talented. What else could his slave be?

"That boy sings rather well." Jackie said to Uncle, who had pressed his hands on his ears and tried not to hear the horrible noise.

"What? Uncle can not hear you!" the old man shouted and his voice was almost totally buried under the music and the noise of the audience.

"I said that Jade's friend knows how to sing!" Jackie exclaimed raising his hands on his mouth. Uncle shook his head.

"Do not shout! Do you want Uncle to get deaf?"

"But - "

"No buts! Already having too much noise!" Uncle snapped angrily. He glared around himself where people were swarming and frowned not approving.

"Uncle does not belong here. I am leaving." he announced in determination, but Jackie didn't agree.

"You can't leave Uncle. This concert means much to Jade and she will be hurt if we are not here when she sings. It can't take long, this piece is already almost finished." he said trying to make the old man stay.

"Jackie is right, sensei. We have to respect Jade and listen when she sings." Tohru said too after being quiet until now.

Uncle sighed and waved his hand in the air.

"Fine. But this better be worth it!" he muttered and shook his head. Did anyone listen to rubbish like this when he had been young? No! It just proved they had lost this new generation.

BronzeBasilic got some cheering from the crowd, but it was clear everyone was waiting for TD3 to play. Jackie couldn't understand why, Jade's band played well in his opinion and he didn't think there was anything wrong with them.

On the other hand, he had never been an expect with this sort of music.

He forgot those thoughts when it became clear that Jade would sing the next and last song. The crowd was getting more excited too, after this they would be able to listen to TD3.

Jade adjusted the microphone a bit lower, she was smaller than Jac and then took an uncertain look at the crowd. There was already pretty much people and they all seemed scary now. Could she really do this?

"Just sing, you will feel better then. I know." Jac whispered encouraging. He could play better now when he didn't have to sing.

Jade nodded, drew a deep breath and started to sing.

Suddenlyher singing and the band's playing stopped when they noticed that TD3 had already come to the stage. The crowd got really excited and forgot the unknown warm up band that got chased away by the real performer.

"Can they do that?" Jackie asked in confusion and anger, they hadn't let Jade finish her song!

"It seems they can." Tohru stated being just as mad.

The singer of TD3, a young woman with electric red hair, grabbed the microphone and screamed in it as loud as she could.

"Who wants to hear real music? Huh?" she asked the crowd replied even louder. A young man spilled his drink on the Uncle's shirt and for a while the old man just stood there in shock.

Then he whacked the young man with his fingers.

"That's it. Uncle is going to get a hot dog." he muttered angrily.

Hsi Wu was shocked and angry.

Those - those mortals hadn't let his slave, his Jade, finish her song! At that moment the sky demon couldn't have named anything more rude and he had to fight with himself to suppress his desire to take his real form and tear that woman, who had taken Jade's place, apart.

He couldn't do it now, not when all these people were here, but no one had said he couldn't do it later. The demon swore that woman would pay for what she had done.

But now he didn't have time to think about revenge, he had to hurry if he still wanted to meet Jade. The demon jumped down from the tree and started to make his way through the crowd to find her before she managed to leave.

Jade clenched her fists and fought against a scream. She was so angry and disappointed that tears weren't far and she felt as if all this had been for nothing.

"I can't believe they did that." Evy said angrily. Her eyes flamed and she too looked like she really wanted to hurt someone.

Åke sighed.

"I knew something was going to go wrong." he said quietly. Jac glared at him.

"Shut up! This is already bad enough, we don't need you to complain." he snapped making the Swedish boy turn to face him.

"I just said what I felt like!" he threw back.

"Well, no one is interested!" Jac objected.

Jade sighed. They were all on a really bad mood and annoyed, but she was the most depressed. This had been her first real chance and it had been ruined.

"Let it be, fighting doesn't help." she said more bitterly than she had intended and both young men quieted remembering that Jade was the one who had suffered the most. Jac felt a bit guilty, he had been allowed to sing a whole piece after all.

He already opened his mouth to say something comforting to Jade, but then they all heard a new strange voice.

"You are Jade Chan, aren't you?"

Jade whirled around and found herself staring at a new strange boy. He was a bit taller than her and he had completely dark hair. His eyes were dark too and he had tanned skin. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, he was wearing a white T-shirt with a weird green pattern, dark jeans and he had tied a reddish sweater around his waist.

Jade blinked in surprise.

"I am, but who are you?" she asked.

The new boy smiled.

"My name is Shin. I think you sang very well, I just hope that slut wouldn't have interrupted you." he said and Jade shrugged.

"Well..." she muttered.

"My name is Jacques." Jac said offering his hand, but he just glared at him and paying any attention to anyone than Jade after that.

"You clearly have talents. Why don't you start a solo career?" he asked. No one missed the hidden message about how Shin thought she was wasting her time with BronzeBasilic.

"Why don't you sod off?" Jac asked just as politely. Who did this guy think he was? And what was he doing here?

Shin paid him no attention.

Jade rubbed her cheek in confusion. She couldn't really decide what to think of this new guy who just arrived to praise her with no reason at all.

"So Jade, now that you don't play anymore, why don't you come on a walk with me? This park is very fascinating." Shin suggested suddenly. Jade didn't think she had heard something like that in anywhere but movies. Something in this boy fascinated her, but she also felt as if something was very wrong.

"I don't know, Shin. We are kind of busy - " she started to refuse, but didn't continue after all.

Shin looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Umm... but it doesn't mean anything. Of course I'll come." Jade said to the surprise of her friends. Evy placed her hand on Jade's shoulder.

"Are you sure about this, Jade?" she asked, but Jade just smiled with glassed eyes.

"Sure I am." she said.

Hsi Wu drew a deep breath and pressed his back against the wall.

Unbelievable!

He didn't even remember when he had last time sensed this much dark chi in one place and the experience had really surprised him.

The sky demon had been about to go to see Jade and her friends and he had already planned what he would say. He didn't want to reveal his true self immediately, Jade had to learn to trust him first and then he could tell her what was going on.

But then the plans had been changed dramatically.

Hsi Wu watched as Jade walked away with a stranger who had dark hair and just that was enough to make him furious. If it had been just a common mortal he would have taken care of him with no consideration, but the sky demon could tell something else was going on.

That creature who was with Jade just couldn't be a human.

And something told him he wasn't a demon either. For a while he had thought one of his brothers was trying to seduce the girl Hsi Wu had cared about, but nothing in that creature seemed familiar.

No matter how he tried Hsi Wu couldn't say what kind of creature he was dealing with. And what else than a demon or a powerful sorcerer could take the form of a mortal?

For a while he considered following the two and it felt really tempting, he had to find out what that thing wanted from Jade, but his mind won then. As long as he didn't know who his enemy was there was no sense in trying something stupid.

But how would he find out? Who could help him?

Hsi Wu had never been a demon keen on books and he knew only few simple spells. Po Kong and Tso Lan were the intelligent demons and the sky demon hoped he could have asked advice from either one. But he had no idea where they were, though he believed Tso Lan had withdrawn in the moon the enjoy loneliness.

That was a place where the sky demon couldn't go without the help of his older siblings and because he didn't know where they were he was in the first square again.

He turned on his heels and started to walk away, this problem required a lot of thinking. Maybe he had to sink low and use the mortal libraries?

Or then he'd come up with something else, you never knew. He could always visit China and meet one of the few still living wise men. Of course their knowledge was nothing compared to what the ancient ones had known, but they were never completely useless.

Xiao Fung didn't like this.

Firstly, he was a very lazy demon and didn't want to be running around in a city this huge. He had visited Bai Tsa here few times, but he had never liked New York. He liked it better with Shendu in New Jersey.

And the mere thought of being Shendu's delivery boy made him feel sick.

The crystal of Zhing hung on his neck he couldn't forget about it even for a moment. What were the odds that he'd find the guardians in New York when he had the whole world to search?

"I'll never make this." Xiao Fung sighed to himself and felt guilty.

He knew better than well that he had never done anything to make his family proud. He was a scary looking demon, that he had to admit and he could control the power of wind. It made him physically stronger than Hsi Wu, for an example, but the sky demon was still stronger than him.

He was very agile and smart, unlike Xiao Fung, who wasn't a fast mover because of his weak legs and huge paws. And he wasn't very intelligent either, though he could come up with good plans when they didn't concern bigger pictures. And when they were good for him.

This what he did now was for Shendu. What did he get if his brother took over the world? Shendu had made clear he didn't have anything to do with his family and that they could all crawl back to him.

And Xiao Fung wasn't going to do that, he wasn't as strong as others, but he was just as proud.

He pushed humans around when trying to see if there was anyone who could be a guardian. All he got as a reward was a bunch of nasty comments and rude words, but he was already on such a bad mood that he didn't care.

Of course he would have liked to kill a mortal or two in his frustration, but he knew it was stupid in daylight. Maybe later when it got dark, maybe he'd then have his fun.

At least he would go through as many bars as possible.

Though he was a demon Xiao Fung had always respected something in humans; that though they lived short lives they knew how to enjoy it. Alcohol hadn't been known among demons before humans had invented it long, long time ago and most of them had immediately liked those new drinks.

On top of that human imagination was very dirty when needed and all demons couldn't manage the same. Oh yes, all demons could be crueller than any human, but when it was about different sort of things it was almost the other way around. To most demons torturing and sexual pleasure was the same thing, but humans had developed the later into an art.

"I hate this place." he muttered to himself glancing around himself. Even after five years he thought it was odd that human wanted build these grey traps where the air was dirty and sky couldn't be seen without breaking your neck while looking up. Mortals were everywhere and all the time, there was no peaceful place and all that made his nervous.

And then he felt it.

The crystal on his neck sent a quick pulse through his body and he stopped immediately. The wind demon looked around himself not caring about the nasty comments he got from those who hadn't foreseen his quick stop and tried to find out who the crystal had sensed.

At first he thought everything was ruined and that he wouldn't find what he was looking for after all, but then he saw a person that would help him.

Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"Ba - um, Beatrice!" he exclaimed and waved at Bai Tsa, who turned around in surprise when hearing the voice of her brother. She quickly walked to him dragging a woman with black hair after her.

"What are you doing here?" Bai Tsa asked from Xiao Fung, who shrugged.

"Sheridan sent me. You know, the usual." he replied and Bai Tsa's expression darkened. She had never liked Shendu and probably never would.

"What does he want this time?" she asked and Xiao Fung didn't know had his sister forgotten the mortal woman or didn't she just care.

"That is a long story. I'll tell it some time." he answered. Then he took a better look at the woman next to his sister, the crystal gave him another pulse, and he realised this was exactly the mortal he was looking for.

The woman was tall and beautiful in mortal eye. She was well developed and there was nothing wrong with her body. Her skin was beautifully tanned, her eyes sweet brown and her raven black hair hung past her shoulders. She stood resting her other hand on her hip and looking a bit confused.

"B, who is this guy?" Viper asked eyeing Xiao Fung, who in his human form didn't look very hansome.

Bai Tsa turned to face her mortal friend.

"He is my brother, um.. George." she replied.

"George?" Xiao Fung asked angrily. He had never bothered to come up with a western name, he always used the name that pleased him the most.

Bai Tsa frowned at him and elbowed him.

"That's right, George." she said.

"I don't like that name."

"So what? It is still your name and besides, I think it's very beautiful." the water demon said with a tone that left no room for objections.

Viper followed this short conversation hoping that if B had more siblings they weren't like this George. Something in that man felt weird and she couldn't say if she liked him or not.

"I am Viper." she decided to announce and the siblings turned to see her again. Bai Tsa slapped her forehead and Xiao Fung glanced at her. Why was his sister with this woman in the first place? The wind demon could have understood if she had been with a man, but why a woman?

"This is my friend Viper." she said to her brother, who still didn't say a thing, just lifted his brows. He turned to stare at the woman.

"I have to talk with you Beatrice. Now. It's about what Sheridan wants." he said and Bai Tsa frowned darkly. She had nothing against Xiao Fung, but she didn't want anything to do with Shendu.

She sighed.

"All right." she muttered then. Though this didn't feel comfortable she had missed her siblings and all that they had once shared. Nowadays the others visited her rarely and it was nice to have her brother here even for a while.

Viper took a look at her watch.

"I should be going too. It was nice to meet you." she said and smiled leaving the siblings alone then. Or as alone as it was possible in the middle of New York.

Bai Tsa grabbed her brother's hand and started to drag him away.

"Let's go to my apartment. There we can talk without mortals swarming around us." she said and Xiao Fung had to increase his speed to avoid being left behind.

"Is it far away?" he asked making the water demon snort.

"It is good for you to move some. According to what I've heard all you do is hang around in mortal bars. That's pathetic." she said grimly. Xiao Fung had always been reckless, but never like this.

"And you can tell me what to do? You live like a mortal in the mortal world and try to forget who you are. I wouldn't be surprised if you married a mortal man one day." the wind demon threw back.

"I'm not trying to forget anything!" Bai Tsa snapped angrily. She was already too worried about her behaviour herself, she didn't need her little brother to remind her about it.

Xiao Fung didn't say anything, maybe they both suspected they were drifting more and more away from the others, who had at least somehow kept their honour.

Bai Tsa lived in a flat pretty far away from the centre of New York and they arrived there after a dull walking trip. When he got in Xiao Fung fell on her nice blue sofa, but Bai Tsa preferred standing.

"What does that bid idiot want this time?" she asked crossing her arms on her chest.

"Your friend. That Viper." Xiao Fung replied and Bai Tsa lifted her brows in surprise.

"Viper? Why? What does Shendu want from her?" she asked in confusion. Viper was of course a friend of Jackie Chan and maybe Shendu wanted to avenge all that he had gone through? But why now? And why like this, Shendu preferred bloody slaughter over the pain of loss. And wouldn't Chan's niece Jade be a better victim?

Xiao Fung showed her the crystal of Zhing.

"This is a toy Shendu gave me. With it you are supposed to find the two guardians of Sha Fuju who Shendu wants. It seems that new mortal friend of yours is one of them." the wind demon said.

Bai Tsa frowned.

"So what?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'so what?' We will of course give her to Shendu." her brother said.

"Unlike you, I am not desperate enough to work for him. I have nothing to do with this." the water demon announced.

"So you are against your own brother and on the same side with a mortal? That is unforgivable even though you don't like Shendu. Blood ties are stronger than any other bonds." Xiao Fung reminded suspecting that Bai Tsa had started to like her new life a bit too much.

Bai Tsa shook her head.

"I didn't say that. If Shendu wants Viper he can have her, but I'm not going to be part of this. That stupid dragon can as well go down with his plan if he wants." she said.

At the same time in another city a woman walked on the street and eyed her surroundings in suspicion. She didn't like this and only the fact that she did this - or at least she told herself she did - for her child stopped her from returning to the air port and taking a plane to London.

Sharon shook her head and sighed.

Somehow she was disappointed. She had thought San Francisco was a horrible nest corrupted by crime only because Sebastian lived there. She hadn't cared about the images she had seen in TV, but had created her own reality where everyone who lived in San Francisco was a hardened crook.

And now when she walked on the street watching young couples, old men and women, children and other normal people she realised how childish she had been. On the other hand she now had an even better way to do something to Sebastian, she couldn't allow her brother's evil deeds ruin the lives of all these people.

She hadn't decided what she was going to do once she found her brother. She hadn't seen him in a long time, Sebastian had been 24 when leaving England and none of his relatives had been in touch with him after that.

The air was cool, but she had suspected it and was wearing a warm jacket. San Francisco was so different than London and though she didn't really like it Sharon found out she was enjoying herself.

Or would have if she hadn't been thinking about Sebastian all the time.

Oh well, at least she knew where to find people who certainly could tell her where to find him.

Captain Black sat behind his desk drinking coffee and reading the latest report from Agent Tag. After Doctor Necrosis and Hoyle, his loyal minion, had escaped Tag had had his hands full of work. He had chased his arch nemesis all around the world, but Necrosis seemed to be one step ahead of him all the time.

Black sighed and shook his head. Right now Tag suspected his target was in Berlin and he tried to find the loose crooks as soon as possible. Thought Black trusted Tag more than his other agents he believed that finding a man like Necrosis would be very difficult.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door and he raised his eyes.

"Sir, inspector Horton from London wants to meet you." one of his men said and Black placed his cup on the table. An ordinary inspector would not have been allowed to see him that easily, but they had done an exception with Horton because she was the sister of one of the criminals Black hated the most.

"Let her in." he said and the man nodded. He let Sharon walk past him and then left.

Black crossed his hands on the table.

"Surprising to see you here. What do you want?" Sharon didn't sit, there was no extra chair in the room.

I want to know where Sebastian is." she announced and Black lifted his brows.

"Strange to hear someone call him by that name. It makes him seem more personal and harmless. Why don't you call him just Valmont?" he asked and Sharon's expression darkened.

"Because that would stain our family name." she replied.

"Yes, of course. But I'm sorry, I can't give you top secret information." Black said after considering it a while. Everyone didn't even know Valmont was alive and it most certainly wasn't allowed to tell his location to just anyone.

"But I am his sister! I have the right to know!" Sharon snapped angrily. She hadn't come this far just to be crushed in the teeth of bureaucracy and she felt her previous good mood dying.

Black shrugged. Officially Valmont was dead, only the most important people knew he was still alive. He so wanted to arrest and throw him in prison for the rest of his life, but according to his superiors it was impossible now. At first Valmont had to announce in public he was alive and there had to be evidence of him being involved with something illegal. You couldn't blame a dead man in the court.

Captain Black knew Valmont was guilty and continuing his criminal ways, but he had no water proof evidence. And that was what made him so damn frustrated!

"Why do you want this information? I thought you didn't want anything to do with him." he stated.

"I don't, but I have to. A man who works, or at least worked, for him is involved with the robbery of the British Museum and I don't want Sebastian to come back to London. Ever. I've come here to make sure he never returns." Sharon replied.

"So you want him to end up in prison?" Black asked.

"Nothing would please me more."

"In that case, I think we can come up with a deal."

To be continued...