Chapter Four: Across to Asia
Dear Uncle,
I will cut the pleasantries and report that as ordered, I have gone to Taiwan, in Asia. I still do not understand why you volunteered me for this, but I respect you and your decisions. I know that this must be a test of my abilities in some way or another. I will do my best not to fail you, but I still find this somewhat humiliating. To be used as a breeding tool is an insult to my talent and your teachings. Any random well-trained acrobat could perform my current assigned role. Did you understand fully what would be expected of me? When in the United States, I met up with some scientists from the Breeding Program. They told me that they desire my body to carry the child of the green human shapeshifter who is a member of the Teen Titans.
To stay on topic, I met with some fellows similar to me in situation. There was a witch who utilized the magical force of luck to affect the probability of things and a boy whose eyes glowed like burning red coals. They were also put into this program that the "Superiors" call necessary. Again, I must ask… necessary for what? Necessary for their future, the old generation, or ours, the young? Anyways, they were assigned to subjects from opposing groups as well. Ironically, we were all paired to people from the Teen Titans… the group for which the Brotherhood of Evil summoned us all to Paris in France to remove together.
Teacher, I have traveled far and wide to respect your requests. From a minor assassination in Vietnam to a major one in the Caribbean, from a thievery in Mexico to a break-out in England, from the Brotherhood of Evil's summons in France to the Breeding Program's orders in the United States, I have obeyed, because I recognize you as my superior still and as one who I respect. I must understand this entire situation before I am willing to continue this foolishness. If you do not, I will await your orders and judge them. By hand and blood, I call myself your child and deem myself worthy of knowing what I should.
Taiwan is a small island. It is off the coast of China, and China claims Taiwan as its own. Taiwan considers itself free and wants itself officially free of China's name. To threaten to bomb this island could bring chaos. We do not need more conflict in these divided times, where a man does not know what he may touch. You have told me many times that an assassin does not dabble into politics, but I support Taiwanese independence.
I know that tangling myself with the sharks of politics can interfere with my business as a mercenary, but I have a code of morals, also. I will evaluate the jobs I am offered and take them if I so desire. I will do jobs at my discrimination, but if an employer bothers me, I will take my revenge upon him or her. I will be an assassin with my own set of values. Mercy to those who dare offend me, thus risking my deadly arsenal of poisons and valuable knowledge of fighting arts to their life(s).
I have started scouting things. The materials I must obtain are located in a small place. Although they may be simple for me to acquire, need I remind you that my training in creating the explosives is not complete? I must have the one known as Doctor Chang come to my aid and assist me in the creation soon. Where is he? Having the materials and not the object in my possession may prove far too hazardous. As in that game of dominoes children play, when the first is done, the rest must follow.
Jade. The very name is like honeyed venom on my lips. Here, I am not Cheshire. Here, I am simply Jade Nguyen, wealthy niece of Wen Ch'ang. I have found it best to pose as an ordinary person. But my blood reveals itself through my green eyes and so betrays my heritage. People have a sort of half horror and half fascination with half-breeds such as myself. It is at these times I abhor the fact that half-breeds can exist. Indeed, I begin to abhor my own blood. And eyes. When I wear my mask, no one can see my eyes. Though they may fear me then, they still believe I am normal to some extent.
To complete my "normal" image, I have acquired lodgings through the standard way for students my age--- a room rent from another person, but near a school. The owner of this building is a wealthy old woman, but her granddaughter runs this house. They both believe I am a student, but the child suspects more. How I know this, I cannot tell. It is simply a feeling that she did not believe completely all I said, or that she believes what I said was all there is. I am not worried. She is purely child and children are amongst the purest in the world.
I know this is one letter I will never send, because it shows a weakness of want from me. Instead, I must keep it as my own possession and let it be something I can imagine I sent. Something I can imagine I gave myself up to weakness in, of want.
So it is, that the parting might be a message to myself.
May your path be plain.
Best Luck,
Jade
A letter that was never sent, from Cheshire, or Jade Nguyen, to her friend and instructor, Wen Ch'ang.