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Bloody Idols: Chapter Seven
Thundering deafeningly overhead, the storm has certainly arrived in force -- the wind is whipping sharp spatters of rain across the open rooftop. The occasional slash of lightning is ever closer, and the ebony darkness that follows is all the more blinding.
The few unmoving bodies on the roof are an insensate audience to the coming conflict. Even the unconscious Willow Down is not revived by the rain across her face. The only people who will live to tell the tale of this battle -- will be the winners.
Wu comes up on White Dagger from one side, while he's still staring irritatedly at Chin's refusal to fall down. While the mighty fighter is distracted, Wu reaches in, and plucks his dagger from his grasp, settling it in to his hand, and stepping back, grinning just a little.
White Dagger is already gracefully shifting into a one-legged stance, his long white hair and dark coat flaring out dramatically in the wind. As he readies himself to once again attack the dogged Chin, he notices Wu with a sort of shock. His eyes narrow, "Recalcitrant dogs! You but prolong the inevitable. The girl is nothing -- it is the treasure that shall be mine!"
White Dagger slowly brings his palms together, calling on chi... then lashes out with one long leg at Wu. He looks mortified -- and slightly off balance -- when Wu tucks his chin a bit, causing the heel to fly past without touching him.
Shiao-Chiang brings his guns up coolly, and fires through the storm at the half-glimpsed villain. "Dog this."
Wu winces as the bullets from Shiao's guns hit him instead, the dark and stormy night having apparently worked in White Dagger's favor this time. Wu doesn't take his eyes off the assassin, though, and watches for another attack.
Keeping White Dagger between Wu and himself, Chin circles around and takes a moment to draw himself together. "Money can't buy self-respect, Dagger." Hefting a length of pipe, he spins it in a wide arc. "I can give you a little help with respecting your elders, though..."
Wu steps back in closer and swings the assassin's own sword at him, apparently at ease with the world, letting none of the weather, the danger of lightning, gunshots, or return attack faze him. The concentration pays off as he lands a sharp blow to White Dagger.
The slender assassin sighs and shakes his head once as Wu is shot, commenting sadly to Chin, "True, true, respect for one's elders and betters isn't what it once was. Guns now... guns have no 'face.' Boys today, always taking the easy way out -- no appreciation for true artistry! I te-" His commentary is cut off abruptly as the dagger bites deep, and the lightning illuminates a dark, spreading stain on his formerly pristine white shirt.
In the velvety blackness following the crack of combined thunder and lightning there's a faintly surprised, faintly pleased sounding, "Damn you!" A moment later a silver-clawed hand lashes out of the darkness at Wu.
Wu dances back out of the way, the claws barely missing him in the raining dark.
Shiao-Chiang thinks that if the old man believes guns have no artistry, he's obviously never seen an Italian gunsmith at work. With a single indrawn breath, before his mind can seize up in fear, he scrambles quickly across the half-lit board closer to his friends and White Dagger.
Chin says, "You're surrounded, out-numbered, and out-classed. You're bleeding and alone on an empty building, in the middle of a thunderstorm. Please surrender, so we can all GET THE HELL OFF THIS BUILDING!"
White Dagger's laughter dances in the wind as lightly as does he, twisting gracefully for another attack, "Yes... isn't it simply wonderful? I do hope you last!"
Chin mumbles, "... I had to ask..." and moves to the attack, spinning the pipe in a broad circle, and trying to power past White Dagger's defense. Unfortunately, he dances out of range of the pipe's arc.
Wu doesn't add anything in reply to White Dagger's babbling. Instead, he steps back in and strikes White Dagger with his own sword. Again, he makes a solid hit.
White Dagger is focused on Chin, whirling in a graceful, no-hands leap over the swinging pipe. He is, therefore, rather taken rather by surprise when the clawed knife Wu wields bites deep -- he lands clumsily, clutching his side and skidding on the wet flooring dangerously close to the open edge of the building.
The slender assassin ends up panting in a three-point stance, the arm about his side staining darkly in the rain. He tosses his pale hair back and snarls whitely at Wu.
Shiao-Chiang lets his breath out, and decides perhaps something more artistic might help his friends more than just plugging away. With a sure sweep of his arms, he starts firing, carving out a crescent swath of destruction from the outermost point of the flooring, around White Dagger and back to the other side.
Wooden bamboo splinters and chips of cement go flying from the destruction of the flooring. There's a scream of rage from White Dagger's lips, half-obliterated by a crash of thunder overhead. The harsh glare of the lightning makes the man's face as white as his namesake, as white as death, striped with black lines of blood from the ricocheting debris. Then, instantaneously, darkest night plunges down, and the building creaks in deep, slow menace below them.
The next-second-flash of lightning reveals a frozen tableau of desperate movement -- the half-moon of flooring is slowly peeling away from the rest of the building, arching out gracefully. Scrambling frantically up it towards the rest of the building is White Dagger.
Chin charges across the roof, skidding to a halt near the broken edge. He shouts, "Grab hold!" and thrusts the pole as far out to White Dagger as possible.
The shattering shard of flooring wavers, the wind snatching at the creaking bamboo supports. Atop it, White Dagger straightens, his long, pale hair blowing about his bloody face and a snarl of disdain on his lips. "Accept your aid? Are you mad?" He raises his arm to throw his last dagger.
Several things happen simultaneously. The silver dagger flies unerringly and true, embedding itself into Wu, as a sharp *crack* denotes the failure of the bamboo supports, and White Dagger starts to truly fall. Overhead, deafening thunder SLAMS everyone to their knees! -and like a lash from the gods, lightning spears down, striking White Dagger and haloing him in a pale nimbus of fire. He screams again, his hair flying -- then, in the echoing darkness that follows, his shrieking laughter can be heard, trailing down into the noisy, rain-slashed darkness.
Shiao-Chiang snarls, "Why can't he just die like normal people?"
Wu manages to stand back up, although swaying a little on his feet. White Dagger's other knife hit him hard, and he stares sort of numbly over the edge of the building, looking silently at the crumpled body in a dark puddle on the grown far below. After a long moment, he says, "Ouch." He looks across to the others, and adds, "I think we did it."
Shiao-Chiang will steady Wu if he seems to need it, and gaze down into the darkness for a long moment. The last few lines to the old poem come to mind. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.. He glances skyward at the clouds lit only by angry flashes of lighting. He does not feel rested, nor does he feel free. With a shrug, he tosses his guns over the edge, and sighs.
A moment passes before the trio rises to their feet and carefully carries the unconscious girl from the roof. A swift, but cautious retreat and a ride down the remaining elevator brings them to the car below, and short trip to Shiao-Chiang's office. A few dry towels, steaming mugs of tea, and various bandaging later, the questions inevitably bubble out.
Chin sits on the hassock in front of the girl, and she glances over the mug at him, and draws back into the chair. "So," he says casually, "is there anyone we should call? Anyone you would like to talk to?"
The white-faced girl shakes her head silently, holding her teacup with both hands. She's not shaking any more, but the blanket wrapped about her makes her look both tiny, and huge-eyed.
Shiao-Chiang will murmur gently, "What about your parents?"
Wu says, quietly, "Your friend Peach Blossom from the casino might like to hear from you. I fear she thinks you're dead."
The girl blinks, then nods to Wu, "I should reassure her, true. I... I suspect she thinks me dead. She saw me dressed as my sister's ghost." She sighs quietly, looking into her teacup as she answers Shiao, "My parents have disinherited me. I am dead to them."
Wu ahs, and says, "Your mother has convinced your father that he acted in haste, and they have reconsidered that. They feared that it was just in time to lose you again."
Shiao-Chiang will glance up at Chin.
The girl blinks again, staring with huge, dark, disbelieving eyes at Wu.
"You joke with me. Father said he'd die before he'd let me cross his door again.
Chin says, "They sent us to find you. Your mother and father were very worried about you, and would very much like to see you. We would have taken you straight to them, but it is important that you want to see them. If you don't, we will gladly take you elsewhere."
Wu adds, "Perhaps losing his other daughter changed his mind. It certainly affected your mother, who misses you very much."
The girl is silent for a very long time. Finally she says slowly, "I... I would like to sleep on this first, please? I... it's been a... a rather difficult week..."
Then she hesitates, looking up at the three men, "Well... maybe... may I borrow your phone?"
Shiao-Chiang will hand her a cell phone.
The girl accepts the phone, then adds a little shyly, "Um... is there another room I might go to, to speak?"
Shiao-Chiang will stand, open his office door, and conduct the girl to another small office, empty save for a desk, chair and computer.
Shiao-Chiang returns, and sits back down. "We've done what we could, I think."
The door closes quietly. The ensuing conversation takes a while, and the three can hear Yu-soo's voice raised sometimes, and some of the time she spends crying. When she finally comes out of the room her eyes are puffy from tears, but she's smiling tremulously, "I... you were right. They're on their way here t-to... to pick me up. To... to take me home..." There's an almost wondering tone in her voice at that last word.
She hands the phone silently to Shiao, wiping her eyes surreptitiously with a corner of the blanket.
There's a small hurricane of activity as Chin, Shiao, and Wu all dig through the various bits of costuming and left-over clothing in Shiao's band-member cast-offs and glitzy band swag. Willow Down is aghast at some of the offerings, but eventually she emerges as a freshly scrubbed young woman in almost non-descript street clothes. Her strangely demure "Do I look alright?" is met with happy smiles all around.
Very soon thereafter her parents arrive. The meeting is tearful and a bit strained, but the three are profusely thanked and the Fan family soon departs.
Finis