The Black Snow
By Icha
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Batman, Wonder Woman, Dr. Light II, and Katana belong to DC Comics. All Japanese characters with the exceptions of Dr. Light II, Katana, Yasu and Imako are from my imagination. Thanks to Athena Phoenix for the excellent beta readings.
Chapter 9. Duels in the ParkMoonlit snowfields...
Here the bloodied samurai
cast their noble lives
That particular haiku (Japanese poem), written by Kikaku in the 17th century, suddenly popped into Tatsu's mind as she stood beneath the trees of Ginza Park. A few meters in front of her, Shiori stood tall, holding her black katana in front of her solar plexus. There was a full moon that night, but there, of course, was no snow surrounding them, as it was a midsummer night in Tokyo. However, suddenly Katana felt cold as if a cold winter wind browsed her neck. She looked at her enemy in the eye, knowing that she was facing a deadly enemy.
"The police are coming," she spoke matter-of-factly.
"You think I will concede because the cops are here?" Shiori snorted, her eyes fixed at a point between her and Katana.
"No," Tatsu rotated her wrist to test her weapon, then shifted it above her head with both hands. "No, you won't."
"Then shut up."
The full moonlight penetrated the trees intermittently. Its silver threads fell upon both katana, reflecting the gleaming lethal rays of light.
xxx
A trained martial artisan, Bruce Wayne had gone to Japan many years ago to improve his fighting skills. Although he preferred unarmed combat, swordplay was his second favourite. And now, with glimmering swords in his hands, he felt as if his days in Japan were being re-enacted in front of him. He raised his katana up above his head and held the wakizashi in front of his sternum, slowly rotating his body to assess his enemies.
He swung his katana downwards diagonally as his first assailant let out a loud cry and ran towards him. The attacker soon screamed again as Batman's katana cut deeply his right hand, effectively incapacitating the Yakuza.
xxx
Wonder Woman ducked and parried another array of bullets fired towards her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Katana run outside to chase the Yakuza girl, followed by several Yakuza men.
She frowned. She was not particularly worried about Tatsu – Gaea knew that her Japanese friend could defend her own life as well as her Amazon sisters could. She was more concerned with the passers-by, who no doubt soon would curiously, albeit fearfully, gather around Tatsu and Shiori to watch them fight.
Diana did not know what kind of Yakuza Shiori was. Despite her cruelty, the Yakuza girl might still play 'clean' by not taking innocent bystanders hostage. But what if Shiori was just another villain who would not hesitate to use anyone as a human shield? Diana knew that she had to go out and track Katana down. But what if the other men also ran out and followed her?
Raising her right arm to deflect a swinging katana, Diana made a quick decision. She punched several men next to her, crouching to sweep the leg of another Yakuza and knock him out, then ran towards the exit door while twisting the wrists and crunching the guns of anyone standing in her way. She glanced at Bruce, who had started swinging his swords towards his opponents, and decided that the Dark Knight was not in imminent danger at all.
xxx
That particular section of Ginza Park was in chaos. People had started to panic once they saw two women in blood-drenched clothes and holding shimmering swords, appear from behind the bushes. As Tokyo was the bustling capital city of Japan, it was inevitable that occasional gunfights happened in any corner of the city. However, Ginza Park was unlikely to be a battlefield, at least in the opinion of families, peaceful moon viewers, and passionate lovers who visited the Park that night in the hope of enjoying a lovely full moon in the city.
And as the two women shouted their war cries and started to leap towards one another, swords swinging at each other's throat, mothers and fathers also started to gather their children and hastily evacuated themselves from the areas. Nonetheless, some young passers-by stood still in awe, witnessing the deadly sword fighting in front of them that they thought only happened in movies.
xxx
While dodging several swords at one stroke, Batman made a roundhouse kick and introduced his thick boot sole to the jaw of another Yakuza sneaking behind him. Showing his excellent Aikido technique, he twisted the wrist of another man with one strong hand grab, making him unbalanced, and tossed him to the other corner of the room. He was almost enjoying this sword fight, although now and then he still had to cover himself with his Nomex-Kevlar cape from the bullets, only to destroy the guns a moment later with his sword. Diana would crush the guns with her hands. I should tell her later that crunching guns with a katana is also a pleasure.
As he had planned earlier, Batman chose to disarm the gunmen (and women) first before handling the sword fighters. He was pleased with his decision. In Gotham, he rarely encountered such skilled swordsmen as the ones he fought now. Soon, he had reduced the number of opponents by a third, and only the swordsmen remained. The Dark Knight snorted. He was still safe and sound; not a single sword had touched his body.
"Matte!"
Suijiro raised his hand, ordering his men to cease the attack.
"I obviously misjudged you, Batman. I see that you are indeed a skilful samurai." The young godfather slowly approached the Caped Crusader, while his men quickly made way. "I was wondering if I can have this session for myself?"
Batman lowered both of his swords. "As you please."
Suijiro nodded briefly. "Your friends have gone outside to continue fighting. I must say it's a wise decision. I don't want my encounter with such a skilled swordsman like yourself to be hindered with all of these tables and chairs." He opened both arms, gesturing to the messy headquarters. "I shall meet you outside!"
Then suddenly, he threw several silver objects towards the Dark Knight and ran outside. Hastily, Batman swung his katana several times to dodge the objects, only to find that they were several shuriken (star-shaped Ninja throwing knife) towards his face. The Caped Crusader grimaced. Although his cape was lined with Nomex-Kevlar, he was not sure if the material would protect him from the lethally sharp shuriken.
Having my swords was very handy this time, he thought grimly as he rushed towards the exit to chase the Godfather.
xxx
"Aaarrrghh!" Tatsu cried as Shiori's sharp katana cut deep into her left arm. She winced, feeling blood slowly ooze through her suit. "Baka!" she cursed. As she thought earlier, the Yakuza lady was fast. Very fast, catching her almost unprepared. Ignoring the pain in her arm, Katana jumped several steps behind, rethinking her strategy.
Shiori smirked. "A long time in America has weakened you, apparently. Shame on you."
xxx
With a simple push, Wonder Woman disengaged the wooden panel that covered the secret passage. She hauled herself out of the tunnel to find herself in a shabby shack full of used boards and piles of gardening supplies. A soft breeze from an open door blew through her hair. Her enhanced hearing detected rushing crowds outside the hut. She also realized that several Yakuza men were chasing her, and would arrive here very soon. Swiftly, the Amazon Warrior ran toward the door.
She found herself inhaling fresh air in a lovely park.
Ginza Park. She felt her skin caressed by the gentle breeze of the night wind, the same wind that caused the trees surrounding her to whisper restlessly. She wanted to close her eyes and enjoy the brief tranquillity of the garden. But she knew better that her warrior spirit would not let herself rest for a while. Tilting her head, she heard the sound of clanking swords in the distance. She flew westward once she plotted her trajectory.
xxx
"You arrogant witch!" Katana scowled. "This little wound won't stop me!" With that, she somersaulted twice towards her enemy, slicing her katana in a very calculated manner.
Smirking, Shiori jumped a few steps behind. But to her surprise, Katana changed her course mid-air, and used her jujitsu technique to give a hard kick to Shiori's side. The Yakuza lady fell hard, her petite body crashing into a tree behind her. Blinking in surprise, she cursed in Japanese. But not for long, as Tatsu had run, swinging her swords towards her throat.
CLAAAANK!
Once again, two graceful but deadly swords collided in the air, causing both owners to step or crouch back to handle the momentum.
"You. Are. Not. Going. To. Kill. Me!" Katana growled, standing steadily after strengthening her position.
"I haven't even tried yet," Shiori's voice was firm, despite her aching arms due to the impact of their swords.
"Then try harder!" Tatsu swung her katana diagonally as if to cut Shiori's body in two. As soon as Shiori deflected the attack, Katana withdrew her sword and sliced it backwards.
"Aaarrrghh!" The Yakuza lady screamed hard as her right thigh was introduced to Katana's sharp sword. Blood oozed through her once very neat trousers. "You bitch!"
Arching her eyebrows, Tatsu opened her mouth to snap back. But her very tuned sixth sense told her something was not right. In a split second, she turned just in time to see the flash of a gun – held by an Iwamura Yakuza standing a few meters away from her. She saw him in time to register that he had pushed the trigger, but not fast enough to move away from the bullet's trajectory. I'll be damned...
CLAAAANK!
Surprised, Katana turned to see what had kept her alive, or at least saved her from permanent heart damage. She found Wonder Woman standing in front of her, scrutinizing her, looking very concerned. The Amazon was still holding her right hand up after using her vambrace to block the bullet.
"You coward!" Diana yelled at the Yakuza man after she made sure that Tatsu was unharmed. She flew promptly towards the Yakuza and crunched his gun with one fluid hand movement. "This is a one-to-one duel; you should not interfere!"
Arriving a few minutes previously, Wonder Woman had witnessed a stunning sword fight between Katana and Shiori. Being a warrior herself, Diana understood the importance of one-to-one duel between two swordsmen (or women, in this case), and how no one else should get in their way. Thus, she spent a few minutes escorting the spectators away from the fighting field, while at the same time listening for any guns. As she had expected, after filtering other sounds, her ears detected a single 'click' of a gun, indicating that someone was about to play dirty.
"Bakero!" This time it was Shiori who barked. Winching in pain, the Yakuza woman pushed herself to stand upright, ignoring the sharp feeling in her thigh. "Uchida, I've told everyone to leave me alone with her!"
So Shiori is a warrior as well. Diana looked at the wounded woman with a different perspective. I should not be worried, then.
"I...he told me to protect you..." the Yakuza, who turned out to be Uchida, Suijiro's second in command, murmured.
"I do not need his protection!" Shiori's face turned red, not because of the blood, but because of anger. Strays of her reddish hair fell on her delicate shoulders, framing her blood-stained face.
"It was his strict command!" Uchida volleyed back.
"Don't obey him in such a way that disgraces me in front of my enemies!" The Yakuza lady was in the brink of eruption. It was clear to both Diana and Tatsu that Shiori still held to the bushido, the Way of the Warrior, despite her involvement in Iwamura's activities. A strange paradox.
Tatsu decided that the delay was getting ridiculous.
"Look, I don't like you to ambush me like that," she retorted to Uchida. "But I also don't want you guys to shout at each other, leaving me and Wonder Woman idle here. Or shall we catch you now, while you're busy with each other?"
In another circumstance, Tatsu's words would make Diana laugh explosively. But at the moment, she just made herself ready in case Uchida decided to try another attempt. But as Shiori glared at Uchida, the Yakuza second in command just lowered his gaze, muttering, "Just be careful of your... It was his order."
Shiori frowned in annoyance, hissing in Japanese. "I can take care of my baby."
Katana could hear her opponent's complaint, but couldn't make out the coherent meaning. However, Diana's enhanced hearing enabled her to hear every word crystal clear.
"You are pregnant..." she blurted. And she and Suijiro are lovers. Well... as good as a bastard like him can be.
Shiori jerked her head up. "So what? It's my womb, my decision," Raising her sword up high, she gestured Katana to prepare herself. "Let's go on."
Katana shook her head hastily. "No way. Not when you carry another life within you," Tatsu had been alarmed when she heard Diana's exclamation. Fierce as a female dragon she was, Tatsu was still a woman who treasured women's ability to carry babies and make new lives. Recalling that her sword had almost sliced Shiori's abdomen, Tatsu shuddered. Taking the life of a Yakuza like Shiori in a combat was one thing. Taking another life that resided within her as well...even unknowingly –was a very different thing for her.
Shiori sighed exasperatedly, then shouted her war cry, thrusting her sword towards Katana. With a fluid movement, Katana dodged the attack. When the angry Yakuza woman turned and continue fighting, Tatsu maintained her defence movements, careful not to hurt Shiori's front. After several dodging and parrying, Katana grew weary. She tilted her head and gestured to Wonder Woman. Soon, a flash of gold swirled around Shiori, catching her in one fluid movement.
"Now..." Holding her lasso in one hand, Diana ignored Shiori's curses. "...let's talk."
xxx
The Batman landed smoothly on the damp green grass, lifting both of his swords in defence. His cape billowing silently behind, the moonlight reflecting from his swords all added to his image as a dark spirit, which often appeared in any Japanese nightmares. Behind his cowl, he narrowed his eyes, measuring his opponent.
Suijiro also cast a glance at his adversary. The Bat in front of him reminded him of a haiku written by Buson, a famous poet of the 18th century.
A bat flits
in moonlight
above the plum blossoms
This Bat had not only flit under the perfect full moon; he had incapacitated many of his men. He was clearly a rival not to be underestimated under any circumstances. Suijiro's thought flew to his father, Masahiro. He must be proud to see me in a fight like this. Then the young Godfather mentally shook the thought away. He's gone. Changed into a useless old man I don't recognise anymore. Now I'm alone, and I will defeat this intruder.
Both swordsmen silently moved in a big circle, trying to predict their enemy's strategy. The wind whispered through a thicket of bamboo trees, the bamboo leaves making rustling sounds. From afar, the hooting of an owl and the cawing of a crow added to the gruesome ambience of the surroundings. For a moment, time stopped for both of them.
Suddenly, with a deadly cry, Suijiro leapt forward, slicing both his crow-designed katana and wakizashi towards Batman's chest and legs. Without a word, Batman stood still, only moving to block Suijiro's swords with his own. Though he didn't show it, the Caped Crusader was surprised by Suijiro's strength and efficiency. He had known that the Godfather wasn't a mere swordsman. The son of a retired powerful godfather like Masahiro would have to be a dangerous adversary.
The Dark Knight somersaulted high, leaving the young Daifu behind. Swiftly, he turned his body and slashed his katana towards his foe. Suijiro parried Batman's attack perfectly; extending the fight to several more minutes of hits and counter attacks.
Though Batman's first attention was to disable Suijiro as quickly as possible, their fight had changed his interest to a real one-to-one fight. So far, Suijiro had not produced his shuriken at all, despite Batman's preparation of his own batarangs in defence. Surprisingly, the Godfather had maintained a fair sword fight, resulting in an impressive duel that would please the eyes of the spectators. Indeed, some park bystanders had changed their initial intention of fleeing for safety once they learned of a Yakuza fight in the Park. On the contrary, now they stood in awe, witnessing a rare treat of a traditionally dressed Japanese Godfather fighting a man dressed in a bat costume. The deadly beauty of a batcape swirling around, the black hakama whirling poetically, and silver lethal flashes of the swords was beyond words.
And then, the first blood was drawn. Suijiro began a series of attack-dodge-attack that forced Batman to make methodical retreat steps. But the Dark Knight's boots had no eyes. A bulge of root had hindered his movement just for a second, the exact time for Suijiro's katana to slice Batman's arm. The Caped Crusader hissed as he dodged another attack. He hastily leapt backwards, not even paying attention to the deep cut in his left arm, focused solely on anticipation of another attack.
Smirking, the Godfather withdrew his swords to admire his cut. He swivelled his katana to casually rest on his right shoulder. The silver steel blade was now dripping in blood. He inhaled deeply.
"I love the smell of blood."
"Then bleed yourself!" Batman leapt forward again, aiming his katana to Suijiro's left side. All this time, he was buying himself time to assess his foe, to know his fighting strategy. Now he had everything he needed. Just watch for roots.
Aware of the attack, Suijiro raised his katana to block. To his surprise, Batman's left hand swiftly moved in, introducing the bat wakizashi to his right side. Suijiro cursed as a hot painful sensation tore his kimono and body. He quickly slashed his katana toward the Batman, who had ducked to parry the sword, and neatly swept Suijiro's legs. The Daifu dropped and gasped as suddenly Batman's katana was pressed against his throat.
"Don't. Get. Up."
Suijiro cursed silently.
xxx
"Let go!"
"No. Now you have to tell the truth." Wonder Woman tightened her lasso in an attempt to stop Shiori's struggling.
"What truth?" the Yakuza shot back. Katana also wondered, but she merely raised an eyebrow.
Diana smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask you about the baby. That's your business." The ex-Princess of Themyscira stepped forward. "Bound by Gaea's Lasso of Truth, guided by Hestia's Fire, answer this question. Do you know anything about Akoya's murder?"
"What!" Katana blinked.
"What? What do you mean, 'Akoya's murder'?" Shiori's eyes widened in disbelief.
Now, it was Diana who blinked. "You don't know about Akoya's death? Suijiro's sister?"
The Yakuza woman struggled to remain silent for a while. Clearly, Shiori was trying to fight the lasso's power to no avail. "She...was shot during an accident in Shinjuku... a few years back."
That was correct. The woman did not lie. "Were you there that day?"
The Yakuza woman shook her head. "I was assigned to accompany Masahiro-san. I had just been part of the clan for a month then."
"So, you weren't assigned to murder her." Wonder Woman frowned. "Who was?"
"What murder?" Instead of answering, Shiori was getting annoyed.
"So do you not know that Suijiro planned to murder his own sister?"
Shiori's face went pale. "He did what?" It was just a whisper.
xxx
The Batman glared at his fallen opponent. Though his attention was fully focused on Suijiro, he also realized that some spectators had dared to approach the fighting scene. Not good. Not good at all.
Suijiro smirked. The Caped Crusader had made him dropped both of his swords, as well as confiscated a tanto (small dagger) and several shurikens from his sash. Now, the Godfather rested his hand on his left side to stop the bleeding. "Where do you think I can go?" Then he tilted his head so slightly, barely perceptible, if not for the Batman, who suddenly turned his attention to the persistent audience. The Dark Knight tensed. Tadaki 'the bear' was holding a boy, pressing a gleaming katana in his neck, while swiftly dragging him towards the two fighters but staying just out of Batman's reach.
"Katana hose!" the bearded Yakuza barked, instructing Batman to lower his sword.
Batman scowled. Where's Diana? He knew he would have to let Suijiro go. The Godfather had killed his own sister. Suijiro wouldn't even blink at ordering to kill the boy.
"Hose!" Tadaki barked again, this time tightening his grip on the boy's body. The boy, around ten years old as Batman noted, had started to cry, while his parents were restlessly standing in horror among the panicked audience.
"I would let the sword down, if I were you," Suijiro commented casually. "Tadaki won't hesitate to decapitate the filthy boy."
Batman glared at the Godfather. His nightmare crept silently in front of him; the nightmare that had begun more than twenty years ago. Only this time, it would be the boy's parents who mourned over their child. Still, a loss is a loss. I can't let it happen again.
Scowling, he pulled Suijiro to his feet and walked him towards Tadaki and the boy. The boy's cries had become louder.
"You won't get away with this." His hand moved surreptitiously to his utility belt, ready should the Yakuza made another stealthy movement.
"Whatever you say," Suijiro walked slowly. When the distance to Tadaki was reduced to half, they stopped.
"Let. The. Boy. Go." Batman growled.
"Let Suijiro-san go first." Tadaki answered in Japanese.
Batman studied the boy carefully. As far as he could tell, the boy wasn't hurt at all. Physically, at least. But the boy would have to go through this nightmare for quite some time before getting rid of the shock from tonight. The Caped Crusader grimaced. Not again. Not another nightmare.
"Together then," he replied, also in Japanese.
Tadaki looked at Suijiro for directions, and after another gesture from his boss, the bearded Yakuza pushed the boy away. At the same time, Batman also pushed the Godfather, watching carefully as he walked toward the boy.
Then it happened. So quickly, Suijiro leapt forward, grabbing the boy in his arms, and placed a hand on his neck, ready to choke the child. Batman cursed silently as he took out a batarang.
"Don't be silly, Batman." Suijiro flashed his cruellest smile. "I don't have the katana with me, but I can still easily break his neck in two." Tadaki approached the Daifu, handling him the katana. "Though... now I have a sword here. So I can choose between breaking his neck, or slicing him thinly."
"You won't do that." Batman's composure denied his trepidation over the boy. I won't let another child die tonight...
"Ah. Such a spirit." Suijiro smirked again. "And why would I not do that?"
"Because I say so." This time, it wasn't the Batman who answered.
Curiosity took its toll as both Batman and Suijiro (and even Tadaki) turned to see the person who had spoken. From the crowds stepped a bald elderly man, dressed in simple grey kimono and brown hakama, carrying a pair of swords.
Batman had known that the man would come. But he wasn't expecting him to come right at that moment.
Fugen, the simple Zen monk formerly known as Iwamura Masahiro, the Daifu of the Iwamura clan, strode slowly but surely towards his son.
xxx
Author's note:
Sorry for the loooooong delay. Like, four months? Between Chapter 8 and 9, I gotta finish my thesis. And now, it's not even submitted yet. Aarrrggghhh!
I also have this new hobby of reading (not yet composing) haiku. So, bare with me...I've inserted two haikus here. I might insert one or two more in the next chapters if I find the suitable ones.