Post by lawrenceliberty on Jun 9, 2017 18:17:07 GMT
STF: Beleaguered!
Richard Dragon finds danger in Hong Kong as well as a new pupil and a mysterious hero known as the White Crane!
July 1988
1
In a small but spotlessly maintained dojo outside of Kyoto a teacher and pupil performed the traditional soji or ritual cleansing following a lesson in the martial arts. The teacher was an American with reddish-blond hair and the grace of a skilled warrior. He smiled encouragingly at the younger black teen that followed him and copied his every movement.
Richard Dragon couldn’t help but think of how much the boy (Ben “Junior” Wilson) resembled his uncle Ben Turner as he helped his sensei with the ritual. Richard had once been a teen training alongside Ben Turner at the feet of the ancient and wise founder of their dojo the esteemed O-Sensei.
Richard had been a young punk in those days. He met both men when he tried to steal from their dojo. Instead of being reprimanded or arrested, they had merely subdued him and then offered him a place as pupil. They had responded to the orphaned Richard’s angry and defiant declaration that “I got no family or friends!” with a kind acceptance and gentle good humor.
The venerable O-Sensei had looked at the boy with understanding eyes and replied, “Beneath this terrible hate I sense a core of goodness… a destiny of greatness we may cultivate!”
The seven years they had studied together turned Richard and Ben Turner into the closest of friends and the finest of students. Their mentor taught them far more than all the martial arts. He instructed them in Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, and Swahili and had them read everything from philosophy and theology to romance and mystery. “Wisdom is stored in many houses. The superior individual visits all!”
The two young men also mastered various ancient secrets of mind and body known only to their teacher. By the time he declared that they were the “finest tablets upon which it has been my privileged to write” they were ready to face the world beyond the dojo gardens. They had adventures around the globe in service of an enigmatic man called Barney Ling who claimed to represent an international peace-keeping organization with the cryptic acronym G.O.O.D.! They would gain allies like the lovely but lethal Sandra “Lady Shiva “ Woo-San and enemies like The Swiss, Hook, Professor Ojo, and the legendary society of killers known as the League of Assassins.
“I suppose I better turn in for the night!” said Junior as he bowed to Richard and moved toward one of the sliding doors in the dojo.
Richard and Ben had taken the boy in after his mother had died. Ben was her only sibling and the only father figured Junior had ever known until Richard himself entered his life. Dragon felt taking care of the teen was the least he could do since honor dictated it and loyalty to Ben Turner did as well. Poor Turner had been a victim as well since the League of Assassins had brainwashed him and manipulated him into becoming one of their trained killers. While under this compulsion Ben, as the masked Bronze Tiger, had killed more than one innocent person before being liberated from the mind altering treatment. He and Richard had renewed their old friendship but Ben had vowed to atone for his misdeeds by serving the government in a covert squad. Richard had returned to the old dojo and brought Ben Wilson along as his friend and pupil. He was content and yet he often thought of his friend and wished he had been able to prevent their enemies from changing him so drastically.
As he made one final survey of the dojo for the night, Dragon frowned as he thought about the way Barney Ling had tricked the duo. He had been behind much of the danger they had faced and he had never truly sought anything more altruistic than filling his pockets and eliminating his enemies. The smirking businessman had been an enigma to the end. He had died at the hands of the Bronze Tiger and had truly reaped what he had sown!
Richard idly caressed the jade gem known as the Dragon’s Claw that he always wore around his neck. His old master had given it to him along with a red and gold uniform that signified commitment to an honorable cause of life and death.
The gem contained some mystical properties and at times it enabled Dragon to briefly enhance his already remarkable skills of body and mind. He paused as Ling’s fat face came to his mind once more. Why was the old schemer on his mind this night? Perhaps there was some purpose to his musings. As the O-Sensei once said, “I occasionally may pluck the chords of knowledge!” Dragon nodded slowly as he realized experiencing these memories and opening his feelings might be his own way of doing the same thing.
He heard a noise and moved gracefully outside to the normally serene garden where his keen eyes detected four figures. Three of them were young men in matching dark sleeveless jackets and red headbands while their victim was an older and much heavier man.
As he assumed the moto-dachi stance with his legs slightly bent and his right leg slightly forward. He prepared for their attack. He knew correctly that they would abandon their target when faced with a more deadly foe.
He met the first attacker and effortlessly blocked his punch and delivered a spinning heel kick that knocked him into the path of the next man. He wasted no motion as he followed up by bringing his other leg around as he completed a circle. His knee met the newcomer’s face and knocked him flat. By the time Dragon had landed on his feet once more, the final intruder had brought a pair of nunchaku around to bludgeon him. He dodged the weapon and caught his enemy by the wrist. He applied a simple hold and the younger man cried out in pain and dropped his weapon. Richard connected with a nerve punch that caused the other man to collapse as well. Less than thirty seconds had passed since he had assumed the moto-dachi stance.
“You’ve not lost any of your moves, lad!” said the burly figure in the rumpled suit.
“Barney Ling! I am not surprised to see your most unwelcome face but I am dismayed by your stupidity in coming here once more!” said Richard as he faced the crooked old man in the moonlight.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself as he struggled to remain composed in the presence of this menace from his past. Had he ever truly believed Ling had died that night? It seemed evil men like Ling always managed to cheat death while good people perished. In either case, he would not fail his own old teacher by giving way to emotions and the strife they brought. He would not doubt the evidence of his own senses and the skill of the O-Sensei who taught him how to use them best.
Ling placed one of his noxious cigars in his mouth and said, “I am wounded by your words. I have come here as a friend. I have come as an agent of angels! I’m here to warn you of a great threat that only you can stop! Now, shall we forget our past disagreements and reason together as allies?” he said.
Richard Dragon said, “The words of Isaiah do not belong on your oily tongue but the wisdom is still valid. Tell me more of this danger but be warned that I am sure that it is something you hope to profit from in the end!”
Ling said, “So, I am a man of commerce. Is that a crime?”
As Dragon bent down to secure the fallen gangsters, Ling added, “Ghost Dragons. They call themselves Ghost Dragons. They work for some bad dudes who want to destroy Hong Kong!”
Richard sighed and said, “I am listening!”
2
Inside the dojo, Richard Dragon sat quietly across from the previously presumed dead Barney Ling. Dragon had always known Ling to be a crafty plotter so he was not completely shocked to see the portly businessman. His disapproval was all too obvious however.
Ling glanced over at the other man and said, “I thought you enlightened types didn’t hold grudges, kid!”
Richard said, “Enlightenment is not a state one simply achieves but something one continually strives to earn! In other words, I still would like to make you pay for what you did to Ben. You tried to claim him as your personal living weapon. You treated him like he was just some unfeeling killing machine! You are as low a specimen of humanity as I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet!”
Ling said, “That’s old news. Ben Turner is back to normal. In fact from what I hear I did him a favor. Those assassins improved him and I gave him a chance to use what they taught him.”
Richard said, “You make me angry and anger is a fool’s god! Tell me again what brought you to me. Tell me more about this threat to Hong Kong!”
Ling said, “I got business connections in Hong Kong. I always have done business there. It is a great little place. Greed goes hand in hand with tradition! It’s kind of a retail China! One of my agents there tipped me off that the Ghost Dragons and their leader want to do something big that will wipe out half the population and leave the whole island open for them to loot. That would be a real shame! That would be wrong!”
“That would cost you money!” declared Dragon.
Ling moved his cigar around in his mouth and said, “Yeah, it would at that! I suppose word of my interest in the matter reached the gang and some of them followed me here.”
Dragon focused his breathing once more and summoned visual images of tranquil waters and gentle breezes. He knew there was a time to be hard as stone and a time to yield as the willow. He would go along with the crafty Ling but he would never trust the old schemer.
“This agent of yours will give us more information. Is that correct?” he said.
Ling said, “His name is Lee Sung and he can be trusted. He keeps his eyes and ears open and makes a good living doing so! He also owes me big for a favor I did for his sister once. He said he’d find out more for me. You just have to meet him first thing tomorrow at the tracks!”
Richard nodded warily. Why did it not seem unusual that any friend of Ling’s would spend time at a race track? Does everyone he knows have a larcenous streak as wide as his own? Gambling was a vice Dragon avoided as he knew all wise men sought to stay away from such weakness of heart and spirit.
Still, Richard had read about the world famous Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong island. It opened in 1845 and was so popular it now contained a shopping mall and cinema in addition to the celebrated tracks. The first racing horses had been brought to Hong Kong from Northern China in a tortuous voyage that had tested the skill of the crew and the courage of the poor animals.
He nodded and said, “I hope he is as good an informant as you are at cheating death!”
Ling shrugged and said, “About that, kid, when I took that fall after Turner went ape, I was hurt but I managed to get away. I had some employees around for that kind of scene. They hurried me off, fixed me up, and helped me get out of the country. I wouldn’t say I cheated death. I just persuaded him to wait on me for a while! Hopefully, he’ll have a real long wait!”
Dragon said, “You think this threat is too large for the regular authorities to handle. I suppose you also don’t think you should join me in Hong Kong and talk to your friend personally.”
Ling shifted uneasily and said, “You are more capable than any cop. Lee Sung might have some issues regarding some past salary disputes. I told him to expect you. I knew you would not refuse to protect the innocent people of Hong Kong. Plus, you can go into action on your own with a lot more ease if you don’t have to worry about keeping me safe!”
Richard smiled grimly. “Your safety is not a matter of concern to me!”
Richard also knew he could face such threats with a calm certainty of victory. He had been taught to do so and he would never shame his esteemed teacher. He also owed it to his own pupil to set an example of courage and honor.
After getting no additional information from the always mysterious Ling, they parted company and Ling hurried out into the night. He had assured Richard that he would be safe from any other attackers since the Ghost Dragon trio had been dealt with so effectively. Richard checked on them only to find that they had escaped from their ropes and disappeared as well. He was not concerned that they would return to the dojo since Ling had also departed and he knew the elderly O- Sensei was still more than a match for any gangster.
He swiftly took his leave from his teacher and briefly awakened young Ben to explain why he was leaving and to assure him that he would return.
The brave boy had wanted to join him but he had obeyed his mentor’s wishes that he remained behind with the elderly O-Sensei himself.
Hours later, Richard Dragon found himself in the famous Happy Valley Racecourse. His flight had been uneventful and the trip by tram to Hong Kong Island via Wong Nai Chung Road had actually been pleasant. The track was crowded as usual but since it was not a Wednesday the traditional race day it was far less busy than normal. Still, attractions like the Beer Garden, the Cinema, and Hong Kong Racing Museum were open and full of visitors and staffers.
He calmed himself and shut out some of the noise while making certain that he was still aware of everything in his vicinity. It was not easy to surprise Richard Dragon.
As he passed through the wide and stately doors of the Hong King Racing Museum and admired the impressive row of ten windows that loomed above the doors and the large black letters announcing the bright white building housed the racing museum, he noticed the rows of manikins dressed in the brightly colored racing silks of former champions. It was a garish display but it certainly caught one’s attention. There was artistry and skill in racing although he had certain concerns about how the horses were treated.
He noticed that a gaunt man in a blue suit was following him while trying to remain inconspicuous. He allowed the man to get closer and then he turned toward him and softly said, “Lee Sung? I am Richard Dragon.”
The bald man nodded eagerly and glanced once more around the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was a normal day at a popular tourist attraction.
“I am indeed Lee Sung. Thank you for coming. Mr. Ling said I should tell you what I have learned and that you would pay me well for my peril!” he said as he wrung his long thin hands together.
Dragon said, “Ling will pay you or you won’t be paid. In either case, the superior man answers when a higher cause calls to his spirit. Surely, saving lives and property is more vital than receiving monetary compensation.”
Lee Sung frowned and then sighed heavily. He opened his hands and nodded.
It was not clear if he was responding to Richard’s sincerity or if he was merely aware of how dangerous the Dragon could be if crossed! In spite of his open almost boyish demeanor, Richard did have a reputation for being a man with lethal abilities and the talent to achieve seeming miracles.
Lee Sung led him past a rather unsettling display of a horse that won the first race held at the course many years ago. Dragon did not think such preservation paid honor to the animals or those who cared for them.
“The first record of Hong Kong in Chinese history was around 221 BC. By the time the First Opium War ended, Hong Kong’s value as a trading center was established and it became a British Crown Colony in the 1840’s. It will return to Chinese control in 1997. Many people are opposed to this transfer while others seek to enrich themselves by it or prior to its initiation. I know the leader of the Ghost Dragons seeks to make some grand gesture to punish those who have spurned his people! He is British and very powerful but no one knows his name. ”
Richard said, “That is crazy. I don’t know much about the political situation but surely some British are equally supportive of the transfer. They will have had roughly 100 years to get used to the idea when 1997 arrives!”
“This mysterious Brit may be a mad man but he is willful and he is dangerous. I know that there are four targets on his agenda but I do not know what he plans to do! I barely managed to learn this much before my own situation became too perilous to continue asking questions. I have the targets on this paper!” he said as he passed Richard a crumpled document.
At that moment the previously serene museum erupted into chaos as several figures charged forward brandishing curved swords.
“The Scimitar! He is rumored to be the deadliest swordsman in all of the Far East!” gasped Lee Sung as he moved behind Richard Dragon.
The man wore a red robe with a matching turban. He was followed by seven other similarly clad swordsmen!
Richard leaped over and grabbed the horse display and shoved it down on the nearest attackers. He did not wait for them to dodge or fall. He dived forward over the tilting display and kicked the first swordsman in the face. He flipped backward and landed on his feet in the Sagi Ashi or Heron’s Leg stance. Momentarily bracing one leg against the other, he moved fluidly into an attack that enabled him to deflect two of the swords and bring their owners into range of a series of swift blows to their throats. They fell and he made use of their proximity to avoid attacks from the remaining four.
He noticed Lee Sung backing away from two of the swordsmen and he started to move toward the frightened man but he was blocked by the others.
He ducked a blade and elbowed the swordsman in the chest. He delivered a hook kick known as the ushiro mawashi geri and sent the first attacker tumbling to the floor. The second man sliced at him but he twisted to avoid the blade and grabbed the man’s wrist in a hold that snapped it and disarmed it.
A loud scream echoed through the room and he whirled to find Lee Sung.
“Have these fiends killed him?” he thought as he tried to find the gaunt informer.
He looked in surprise as the sixth killer fell backward at his feet. He smiled slightly as he saw the reason for the man’s abrupt defeat. A beautiful woman in a pink jacket and pants with matching slippers was holding a samurai sword in her hands as she laughed coldly and tossed back her long black hair. She faced the Scimitar himself and he circled her lithe form warily.
“Lady Shiva!” thought Richard as he recognized his old ally. Her real name was Sandra Wu-San and she had fought by his side in many adventures. He had been attracted to her but her eagerness to kill and her insistence that her only passion was for combat always came between them. Now, he was glad to see her. She was the most capable warrior he had ever met.
She caught his eye and laughed as she swiftly disarmed the legendary Scimitar and plunged her own weapon through his chest. She wiped the blade on his garment as he fell and she shook her head in dismay.
“How utterly disappointing! There is no truth in advertising. They actually called that worm a master swordsman!” she said to herself.
“Richard Dragon. It is refreshing to find that you still attract danger. That was always your best quality!” she said. “You do not disappoint!”
3
Richard Dragon quickly helped the frightened but unharmed Lee Sung depart from the island on a charter boat and then as he sat across from her in a small café, then he asked Lady Shiva for her help.
She looked at him in the way he remembered so well from their past together. He always wondered if she was amused by him for some reason or if she was secretly fond of him. He had never managed to get her to offer any affirmation. She was puzzling so many ways and yet she was also so very intriguing.
“I will offer my blade in your service while it remains entertaining to do so. As I said before you are reliably prone to place yourself and those who follow your path into peril. I do so like that trait. I actually came here for another reason. Hong Kong has become the home to a mystery man who may be worthy of his reputation unlike that foolish Scimitar! Have you heard of the White Crane? He appeared as if from nowhere around late 1984. He has eluded all attempts to capture or kill him and there have been many such attempts since he had set himself up as an intractable foe to the League of Assassins! He has not only survived all their attempts to slay him but he has bested every fighter he has faced and he has shattered if not fully eliminated the League. Half of them want to kill him while others wish to train under him. He is rumored to know fighting techniques no one else has ever seen!” she said.
“You wish to learn from him?” asked Richard.
Lady Shiva scowled as if she was dealing with a slow pupil. “I wish to kill him!”
Richard said, “Shiva, you aren’t working for the League! Surely you wouldn’t surrender all honor by joining them!”
Lady Shiva said, “I will never join them. If they offer me challenging work I may accept an occasional mission on their behalf. In this case, I merely want to test myself against the White Crane! Since he is here I believe he may be working against the League and it is just possible your own mission will bring you to him. The League could be behind this mystery man you are opposing.”
Richard nodded and said, “We could use the White Crane’s help if he truly does oppose my enemies!”
Lady Shiva shrugged and said, “If he is useful to you I will not kill him immediately! After all, I have time even if he does not!”
Richard said, “The target list consists of four locations: the Avenue of Stars, the Ladies Market, the Clock Tower, and Peak Tower! We’ll have to cover them as best we can!”
One of the targets was already a scene of violent action! The Peak Tower was constructed in 1969 below Victoria Peak summit. It stood 1299 feet with twin upper floors supported by two ornate columns. The viewing platforms were very popular tourist spots. The quirky exhibits found within the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditarium” also drew visitors of every type. None of the bizarre displays were as colorful or as lethal as the Korean martial artist known as Shatterfist! He wore red pants with an elaborate horned face mask that concealed his features even as his bare chest revealed his muscular form all too well. He ignored the stares of those innocents who had come to the tower for its majestic view. He was a man with a mission all of his own. He moved out of view of the passersby and into the shadows near an empty section of the Peak Tower plaza. He placed a small device against one wall and started to make certain adjustments when a shadow fell across his work area and he whirled to see a newcomer.
He had dark hair and wore a solid white outfit with a scarf that covered his lower face. His eyes were striking with intelligence and determination and compassion. He was a supremely skilled fighter but in spite of the losses he had suffered, he was once more the hero he had always been in a very different life.
He drew upon this customary courage as he approached the masked villain.
“I do not believe you’re here to see the man with the longest beard in the world!” he said as he gestured down to the Ripley building.
Shatterfist silently dived at him but the man in white dodged him with ease. He stood ready for the next attack and countered it with an effortless motion that sent Shatterfist reeling!
The Korean killer cursed and then concentrated for a moment. His hands began to glow a vibrant shade of red and crackled with energy.
He smiled wickedly and aimed another attack at the White Crane! The White Crane readily recognized his foe’s destructive energy and avoided contact once more but even as he dodged the gleaming energy that surrounded Shatterfist’s hands, he connected with three lightning fast strikes of his own that dropped his enemy to the pavement.
He made certain his foe was unconscious and then he examined the device he had planted moments before. It was some type of explosive device that had been designed to disperse its contents through the area. He assumed it was a toxin of some type. He could dispose of it safely himself so he carefully lifted it and made certain once more that the timer had not been activated.
“Every name I take off the membership roster of the League of Assassins brings me closer to my goal. I can only believe that each victory also brings me closer to knowing myself more fully. These four years of pain and toil have been worthwhile since my memories have slowly returned and I have made progress on my vow to bring down the villains who robbed me of my very self!” he thought.
A girl of around 15 came up beside him and said, “His men were not that difficult to beat. They didn’t have a sensei with your talent!”
She had long dark hair and a pretty face. She wore a solid black costume with a dark scarf across her lower face. She was agile and moved with a combination of power and precision like a deadly dancer. Her features indicated that she had one Caucasian parent and one who came from the Orient. She was unconcerned and would have been puzzled if the question had been posed to her. She remembered her father all too well but she had never known her mother.
“Cassandra, you have taught me more than I have ever taught you. Our four years together have been meaningful to me for many reasons. When I found you in Tokyo you were alone and we both needed a friend. You’ve been more than a friend. You are like a sister to me!” he said
She nodded and smiled slowly. She liked his words and the feelings they invoked in her but her social skills were lacking and she didn’t exactly know what the right response was.
As Val Armorr led his pupil Cassandra Cain into the streets of Hong Kong, the former Legionnaire little knew that his time-tossed crusade to bring down the League of Assassins was nearing its conclusion!
4
The White Crane (Val Armorr) had led a colorful life. His mother had been an adventuress/bounty hunter. His father had been a notorious criminal known as the Black Dragon. He had never known his father but he had enjoyed having a father figure in the form of his own sensei the heroic Toshiaki. He mastered every known form of the martial arts and embraced his mentor’s heroic philosophy. Eventually, he became a member of a group of young champions the Legion of Super Heroes. He fell in love and married one of the other members the regal beauty known as Princess Projectra. Their time together was blissful but short since he gave his life saving her home world from a group of criminals. Apparently, death was a temporary condition for him since he was revived by a sinister group known as the League of Assassins and he was brainwashed into becoming their amnesiac pawn. He eventually reunited with his friends and regained enough of his memories to motivate him to vow to destroy the League if possible. Since Val and his allies lived in the distant future, he had to use a time machine to journey back to the 1980’s where he could cut off the League at its root. He adopted the heroic identity of White Crane in honor of his old mentor who had also used that name in their own era. He had been successful and in time his memories returned. He longed to be reunited with his wife but he knew two things. He could not return and keep his honor without fulfilling his vow to shatter the evil group and because of the vagaries of time travel while he had suffered separation from Jeckie for four years, he could return shortly after he left and thus make her own separation from him much shorter and less painful!
He had never expected to meet the solitary Cassandra Cain or become her sensei. He now realized that she had helped him regain the humanity and compassion that had always marked his character before his own brainwashing. Now, as he looked over at the silent girl in black he thought of her troubled past.
If Val had been raised to be a living weapon Cassandra could be said to have literally been conceived with their purpose. Her assassin father David Cain had sought out a means of creating the perfect killer. He decided to father a child who would then be raised by him with no other attributes but the ability of effectively fight and kill his foes. He did not bother to teach his little girl how to talk or how to read. He merely helped her learn lessons of pain and physical development. She was a skilled pupil and upon her eight birthday at his urging she did take a life. She had not fully understood what her actions meant nor had the moral implications ever occurred to her mind. She did realize that she didn’t agree with her father’s code of morality and she fled from him. She wondered the world as a lonely orphan until Val had found her and befriended her. He had helped her develop speech patterns and he had taught her to read on a basic level. He hoped he had also managed to make her feel valued and appreciated as a child should be cherished. She was a delightful if strange girl. She was troubled at times by her past and Val had encouraged her by saying she merely owed life more than others since she had taken a life once before. She would give back by defending those who could not protect themselves. She would follow his lead and battle the League that had so altered both of their lives!
Cassandra occasionally wondered who her mother was and how she could have left her with the cold David Cain. She also wished she had somehow been able to make the woman want to stay with her and love her. She tried not to brood and for the most part she was a quiet but kind girl.
After examining the bomb and neutralizing it, Val explained its purpose to her.
“I am not a scientist but the technology of my own era is advanced enough that I can determine this chemical was meant to be disseminated across Hong Kong with the purpose of killing as many people as possible. I don’t believe the League is finished here. Shatterfist was merely one agent of many. He certainly lacks the brains to make such a device!” he said.
Cassandra nodded and said, “How do we find the others?”
He said, “I suspect since the first location was a popular tourist attraction the same may be said of future targets!”
She smiled readily and said, “Like the Ladies Market?”
He said, “You do love that place don’t you? Well, it does have a wide variety of stores and shopping areas. It is a natural target! We shall check it out among other locales!”
As they hurried toward the famous shopping district, they suddenly encountered Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva who knew the Market was on their list of possible targets!
Lady Shiva smiled eagerly as she recognized the costume of the White Crane from the rumors she had heard about the warrior.
“The White Crane! I have longed for the moment when we might meet! You are said to be a true master of the art of combat!” she said.
Richard Dragon said, “I am Richard Dragon. She is Lady Shiva. If you oppose the League of Assassins then we are on the same side! Do not rush into violence because Shiva so relishes a fight!”
Lady Shiva frowned but she nodded slowly. “He speaks the truth although his desire for alliance delays the satisfaction I seek from battle!”
The White Crane said, “I have heard of you both. Richard Dragon, your own reputation brands you as a man of peace drawn into a violent life. Join me if you wish! I do wage war on the League along with my pupil.”
Dragon said, “They mean to strike at the Peak Tower, Ladies Market, the Avenue of Stars, and the Clock Tower!”
The White Crane said, “We were on our way to the Ladies Market! We already stopped an attack at the Peak Tower!”
Dragon rubbed the jade dragon’s claw around his neck. As always the mystical stone heightened his physical abilities and helped him focus his other senses with greater clarity and perception.
“If you and your pupil go to the Market, Lady Shiva may take the Avenue of Stars while I shall head to the Clock Tower. I feel like we have no time to waste!” he said.
The others agreed readily but Lady Siva thought, “When this is over I shall test the White Crane for myself!”
5
Lady Shiva was not so much opposed to helping those in need as much as she simply preferred to indulge her passion for using her combat skills in life or death battles. It was in fact the only thing that truly made her feel alive since her beloved sister had been murdered years ago. She had wrongly blamed Richard Dragon for the loss of Carolyn but once the misconception had been cleared up they had formed an informal alliance. If she cared for him she concealed her feelings or suppressed them beneath an icy veneer of lethal beauty and mocking humor.
She knew Hong Kong like the back of her hand. She had travelled the globe since her youth and it was while she was in Asia that she had in fact met David Cain and trained with him. He had offered her lessons in exchange for her agreement to provide him with a child. Cassandra had been that child although since Lady Shiva had walked away from the baby mere days after giving birth, she had no way of knowing this. If she ever thought about the baby she had given away or its fate, she certainly never verbalized these musings. Now, she did wonder a bit about the White Crane’s silent pupil. The girl seemed to share some of her own physicality but the realization of this was not something she pondered. She merely felt something odd about the girl. Lady Shiva had left the baby behind and to meet up with her sister. The duo trained together but Lady Shiva never told her about the baby or her deal with David Cain. Carolyn was killed years later after departing to attend college in America. By that time, Lady Shiva had become a formidable warrior who had no time for family or motherhood.
She certainly had no time for frivolous things like the popular Avenue of Stars! The plaza was dedicated to a celebration of Hong Kong cinema. Hong Kong was often called the “Hollywood of the East” and displays and huge posters paid tribute to actors like Bruce Lee and Lai Man-Wai the director of the first film made there in 1913. Huge murals attracted eager crowds as did the rows of handprints in cement. She scowled in contempt at the sightseers and she scanned the area for danger.
She frowned again as her keen eyes caught sight of someone who didn’t seem to belong with the others. She was dressed like any Westernized Asian woman. She was beautiful and was dressed in what seemed to be a slightly ironic style of short plaid skirt, black heels, and black jacket. Her long red hair had a curl to it and her red lips formed a cruel smile. The red hair was clearly a wig. She carried a large bag over one shoulder.
She was clearly in incredible shape and yet Lady Shiva could tell from the way she walked that the bag was unusually heavy. Lady Shiva was an expert on physicality and perhaps no one else could match her awareness of individualized patterns of movement. No one would ever fool her with a simple disguise. She certainly was not fooled by the stylish glasses worn by the newcomer.
“Jade Nguyen a.k.a. Cheshire!” she thought as she drew closer to the infamous killer.
Cheshire caught her eye and her own smile broadened. She moved almost seductively away from the crowd into the Cinema Palace itself and Lady Shiva warily followed her.
By the time Lady Shiva had reached the killer, Cheshire had discarded the glasses and red wig and stood in the sanchin-dachi or immovable stance.
They exchanged no words as Lady Shiva leaped at her foe and managed to grappled with her in spite of Cheshire’s remarkable agility. She knew each of Cheshire’s sharp red nails was poisoned.
Lady Shiva tried to ram her knee into her foe’s mid-section but Cheshire twisted and blocked the move with her own leg. She raked her nails across Lady Shiva’s chest but only managed to rip open her shirt. Shiva had pulled back before any scratch could be made. She slammed her palm into Cheshire’s chin and followed up with another blow to the face. She grunted as Cheshire rammed her head into Lady Shiva’s face swept her legs off the ground.
Lady Shiva rolled aside and flipped back to land on top of Cheshire as the other woman dived after her. She wrapped her legs around her throat and pulled back as she exerted pressure. Cheshire shredded one leg of Shiva’s pants but failed once more to cut her as Shiva slammed her head into the floor.
They circled one another as each regained her footing.
“You aren’t looking well at all! I think you may be dying” said Cheshire.
Lady Shiva said, “And you seem to have gained weight!”
She kicked Cheshire in the face and spun around in the Ippon-Ashi-dachi stance! She was truly a thing of beauty in her precision and grace. The ballet lost a prima ballerina when Shiva focused all her talents on martial arts! She grinned as Cheshire fell again. She flipped over her back and rolled her into a tight package. She hooked her leg and started to deliver a stunning nerve strike and Cheshire managed to reverse the motion and catch Shiva in a hold that enabled her to pin her flat. She raised her gleaming red nails and smiled wickedly. Lady Shiva struggled but for once she did not have the leverage to break free. She hissed in anger and spat in Cheshire’s face.
Cheshire brought down her hand but Lady Shva turned her head in time to avoid the first strike. She copied Cheshire’s former move and hit her with her own head.
She kicked free as she brought her legs up and then used them to lift and throw her opponent.
She rolled across the floor and managed to bring a huge framed poster of Bruce Lee down on top of Cheshire.
By the time the Assassin had shoved the display aside, Lady Shva was ready for the attack! She pummeled Cheshire with a blindingly fast series of nerve strikes and finally used a spinning high mai-geri kick to knock her cold!
She hurried over to secure the discarded bag and as the authorities rushed closer, she ran out of the room. She avoided all of them and leaned back against a wall in a darkened alley. She had won but as her ragged outfit and battered body showed, the fight had been a difficult one. She smiled in pleasure. Then, she did something completely out of character. She sank down to the ground and passed out. Cheshire’s perfume had been a potent narcotic and Lady Shiva had finally succumbed to it. She would recover but for now she was out of the fight.
6
The White Crane and Cassandra immediately engaged two colorful figures in combat upon reaching the luxurious and brilliantly illuminated section of the city known as the Ladies Market. While the commercial district was known for having goods of every possible type on display for purchase by eager shoppers, the abundance of fine fabrics used for dresses gave rise to the name of the Ladies Market! It could in some ways be called the Times Square of Hong Kong since every corner was marked by a flashing sign or dynamically painted promotional billboard. An Indian woman in a tight white leotard with a skullcap style hood stood on top of one gleaming marquee and crouched over her own bomb.
Her name was Amba Kadira of the Steel Claws! She was one of the deadliest assassins ever to emerge from India because of her incredible fighting prowess and the steel nails that were grafted to ends of her fingers.
She was not alone. A teen girl with a Ghost Dragons jacket and red bandana over her black hair stood nearby. The White Crane made his way toward Steel Claws while Cassandra swung up and over a railing to confront the teen gang member.
“Stop! Don’t move!” shouted the White Crane as he approached the Indian woman.
She sneered at him and lashed out with her razor sharp metallic nails! He dodged and then circled her in an effort to move between her and the bomb resting at her feet.
She kicked out at him but he blocked her attack and countered with one of his own. She gasped in surprise as he unleashed a flurry of moves that were not like anything she had ever witnessed before. He was upon her in seconds and using the Kryptonian martial art called Klurkor, he not only knocked her backward but managed to sever the metallic nails from her fingers with a series of lighting quick and remarkably precise blows. She stared in shock as he delivered a final jab from the Rimborian judo called Kai-Tan and dropped her to the ground.
Meanwhile, Cassandra had grappled with the girl named Lynx and found her to be a capable foe but lacking in her own level of skill. She kicked her in the face and punched her in the jaw. Lynx was out cold in a matter of moments.
The White Crane secured the bomb and smiled at his young pupil.
“We have it. If Richard and Lady Shiva do as well, then perhaps, the last group of killers that remain active in the League shall be captured. My work will be done here at that moment!” he said.
Cassandra nodded sadly. She would miss her mentor but she didn’t know how to express her feelings.
He knew what she was thinking and touched her gently on the cheek.
“Cassandra, would you like to come with me to my era?” he asked.
She hesitated and then slowly said, “Yes but I think I need to stay here for closing…closure? I want to find my mother and learn more about myself. I can’t do that in your time!”
He patted her shoulder and said, “I understand. You are already a better fighter than I was when I was your age. It is like you read body language automatically. You are really special. I don’t want you to be alone though. We’ll find a place for you or I won’t leave!”
Meanwhile, Richard Dragon made his way up the impressive structure known as the Clock Tower. The 144 foot edifice had once been the Kowloon Canton Railway Clock Tower. The red brick and granite clock with a lightning rod and wooden stairs looked over Victoria Harbor. The four sided clock was impressive and had run continuously since 1921 except for the dark days of the Japanese occupation. The original station had been demolished in 1977 but the four sided clock survived as part of the newer building.
Richard was impressive by what he saw but he focused on the task at hands. He didn’t worry about Lady Shiva since she was so capable nor did he doubt the ability of his new friends the White Crane and his pupil. He was good at reading people himself and he trusted his instincts. Trust was essential in the superior man who wished to better himself.
He soon found himself facing five Ghost Dragon gang members and an elegant looking blond man in a white suit. His jacket was pulled back and his open shirt revealed a dragon tattoo on his chest.
He looked over at Dragon although Richard’s approach had been silent and unseen.
“Richard Dragon! I heard you were in the city and that you sought to oppose my efforts to punish the ingrates for rejecting British culture. You are known to me and I look forward to killing you!” he declared.
Richard touched the jade dragon that hung around his neck and assumed a combat stance known as musubi-dachi or closed heels stance.
He waited as the young punks charged at him and then he closed in on them and effortlessly connected with a nerve punch to the throat that stunned the first man. He rolled across the narrow walkway and rose up to grab and flip the next attacker to a hanging sign below. He landed on the platform and did not rise again. He would live but he would be sore.
Dragon ducked another Ghost Dragon and caught his hurled chain. He pulled him closer and kicked him three times in succession!
The largest Ghost Dragon tried to grab Richard but he shoved him back and then used a judo throw to send him after his ally to the platform below.
The final Ghost Dragon threw a shuriken at Dragon who whirled, caught it, and hurled it back in one smooth motion that left his foe bleeding and prone on the marquee.
Applause echoed as the smirking blond leader approached and said, “Well done, Dragon. I am King Snake- Edmund Dorrance. It is your honor to face me!”
As Richard looked up at the arrogant man, he realized that he was blind! Somehow he was able to use his other senses to more than compensate for the loss of sight. Richard had done so before as well during a time in which his eyes had been temporarily damaged.
Now, he touched the jade dragon once more and silently willed the very essence of his will to empower him. He lashed out at King Snake who countered and waited. He stopped and spun around with a kick that narrowly missed his target. King Snake laughed and grabbed for his leg but he was also too slow.
Dragon calmed himself and connected with a jab to the upper arm that left King Snake’s left arm numb. He received a jab to his own chest and gasped for breath.
King Snake said, “I hate the way the natives here dared to reject the colonial rule and have now sought a return to Chinese domination! They will die for their insolence and so shall you!”
He kicked out and Richard felt the blow connect with his stomach. He lowered his head and matched King Snake with two strikes of his own.
He ducked a whirling kick and leaped forward to knock his foe off balance.
They struggled for a moment and then King Snake dived to one side and held up the bomb he had placed.
“Surrender, young Dragon! I do not wish to detonate this toxin now. I have much to live for!” he said with a sneer.
Dragon nodded and studied the scene. He could cross the area in time to stop the detonation should his foe truly be so willing to die.
He made his move and dived forward. With one hand he secured the bomb while his other hand jabbed King Snake’s throat and knocked him cold.
It had been a close fight but he had triumphed.
Later, the heroes had assembled once more. Lady Shiva was still woozy from the narcotic she had inhaled during her fight with Cheshire but she was defiant as ever.
“I would learn the secrets you are rumored to have!” she said to White Crane.
He smiled and said, “I already have a prize pupil and she receives all my attention!”
Cassandra stared at Lady Shiva. There was something about her that captivated the girl.
Richard Dragon said, “We have stopped King Snake’s plot. He and all his allies are imprisoned. From everything I have heard you have destroyed the League of Assassins or at least removed their major players from being threats.”
The White Crane said, “I vowed to do so. I will return to my own home after Cassandra has a place of her own!”
Dragon said, “She would be most welcome to study with my other pupils at the Kyoto dojo at which I teach!”
Cassandra said, “I think I would like that. I would also like to return here someday and do my best to help those who need help!”
Val kissed her on the cheek and said, “That would be great. You’ve helped me more than you know. We will see each other again! I promise you that!”
Lady Shiva scowled. There was something about the girl that caught her attention. She wondered about this sensation and remained silent. Testing herself against the White Crane could wait until a future time. She knew that she was truly not at her best as she fought off the effects of the drug she had inhaled.
Richard bowed toward the White Crane and the man from the future returned the gesture.
A strange glowing sphere appeared and the White Crane said, “My ride is here! I wish you all well and I thank you for your help!”
He entered the strange craft and Dragon noticed a lovely woman in a revealing red costume awaited the White Crane within the machine. They embraced as he entered the machine and then it vanished.
Richard turned to Cassandra and said, “You will be a very welcome pupil. I may learn much for you as well!”
Cassandra nodded slowly and said, “Thank you. I wish to improve myself!”
The trio walked away and Richard Dragon breathed a silent prayer of safe homecoming for the man known as the White Crane. He also vowed to do all he could for the mysterious girl who would be his newest pupil! It was a new beginning and for that he was truly thankful!
The End
Richard Dragon finds danger in Hong Kong as well as a new pupil and a mysterious hero known as the White Crane!
July 1988
1
In a small but spotlessly maintained dojo outside of Kyoto a teacher and pupil performed the traditional soji or ritual cleansing following a lesson in the martial arts. The teacher was an American with reddish-blond hair and the grace of a skilled warrior. He smiled encouragingly at the younger black teen that followed him and copied his every movement.
Richard Dragon couldn’t help but think of how much the boy (Ben “Junior” Wilson) resembled his uncle Ben Turner as he helped his sensei with the ritual. Richard had once been a teen training alongside Ben Turner at the feet of the ancient and wise founder of their dojo the esteemed O-Sensei.
Richard had been a young punk in those days. He met both men when he tried to steal from their dojo. Instead of being reprimanded or arrested, they had merely subdued him and then offered him a place as pupil. They had responded to the orphaned Richard’s angry and defiant declaration that “I got no family or friends!” with a kind acceptance and gentle good humor.
The venerable O-Sensei had looked at the boy with understanding eyes and replied, “Beneath this terrible hate I sense a core of goodness… a destiny of greatness we may cultivate!”
The seven years they had studied together turned Richard and Ben Turner into the closest of friends and the finest of students. Their mentor taught them far more than all the martial arts. He instructed them in Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, and Swahili and had them read everything from philosophy and theology to romance and mystery. “Wisdom is stored in many houses. The superior individual visits all!”
The two young men also mastered various ancient secrets of mind and body known only to their teacher. By the time he declared that they were the “finest tablets upon which it has been my privileged to write” they were ready to face the world beyond the dojo gardens. They had adventures around the globe in service of an enigmatic man called Barney Ling who claimed to represent an international peace-keeping organization with the cryptic acronym G.O.O.D.! They would gain allies like the lovely but lethal Sandra “Lady Shiva “ Woo-San and enemies like The Swiss, Hook, Professor Ojo, and the legendary society of killers known as the League of Assassins.
“I suppose I better turn in for the night!” said Junior as he bowed to Richard and moved toward one of the sliding doors in the dojo.
Richard and Ben had taken the boy in after his mother had died. Ben was her only sibling and the only father figured Junior had ever known until Richard himself entered his life. Dragon felt taking care of the teen was the least he could do since honor dictated it and loyalty to Ben Turner did as well. Poor Turner had been a victim as well since the League of Assassins had brainwashed him and manipulated him into becoming one of their trained killers. While under this compulsion Ben, as the masked Bronze Tiger, had killed more than one innocent person before being liberated from the mind altering treatment. He and Richard had renewed their old friendship but Ben had vowed to atone for his misdeeds by serving the government in a covert squad. Richard had returned to the old dojo and brought Ben Wilson along as his friend and pupil. He was content and yet he often thought of his friend and wished he had been able to prevent their enemies from changing him so drastically.
As he made one final survey of the dojo for the night, Dragon frowned as he thought about the way Barney Ling had tricked the duo. He had been behind much of the danger they had faced and he had never truly sought anything more altruistic than filling his pockets and eliminating his enemies. The smirking businessman had been an enigma to the end. He had died at the hands of the Bronze Tiger and had truly reaped what he had sown!
Richard idly caressed the jade gem known as the Dragon’s Claw that he always wore around his neck. His old master had given it to him along with a red and gold uniform that signified commitment to an honorable cause of life and death.
The gem contained some mystical properties and at times it enabled Dragon to briefly enhance his already remarkable skills of body and mind. He paused as Ling’s fat face came to his mind once more. Why was the old schemer on his mind this night? Perhaps there was some purpose to his musings. As the O-Sensei once said, “I occasionally may pluck the chords of knowledge!” Dragon nodded slowly as he realized experiencing these memories and opening his feelings might be his own way of doing the same thing.
He heard a noise and moved gracefully outside to the normally serene garden where his keen eyes detected four figures. Three of them were young men in matching dark sleeveless jackets and red headbands while their victim was an older and much heavier man.
As he assumed the moto-dachi stance with his legs slightly bent and his right leg slightly forward. He prepared for their attack. He knew correctly that they would abandon their target when faced with a more deadly foe.
He met the first attacker and effortlessly blocked his punch and delivered a spinning heel kick that knocked him into the path of the next man. He wasted no motion as he followed up by bringing his other leg around as he completed a circle. His knee met the newcomer’s face and knocked him flat. By the time Dragon had landed on his feet once more, the final intruder had brought a pair of nunchaku around to bludgeon him. He dodged the weapon and caught his enemy by the wrist. He applied a simple hold and the younger man cried out in pain and dropped his weapon. Richard connected with a nerve punch that caused the other man to collapse as well. Less than thirty seconds had passed since he had assumed the moto-dachi stance.
“You’ve not lost any of your moves, lad!” said the burly figure in the rumpled suit.
“Barney Ling! I am not surprised to see your most unwelcome face but I am dismayed by your stupidity in coming here once more!” said Richard as he faced the crooked old man in the moonlight.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself as he struggled to remain composed in the presence of this menace from his past. Had he ever truly believed Ling had died that night? It seemed evil men like Ling always managed to cheat death while good people perished. In either case, he would not fail his own old teacher by giving way to emotions and the strife they brought. He would not doubt the evidence of his own senses and the skill of the O-Sensei who taught him how to use them best.
Ling placed one of his noxious cigars in his mouth and said, “I am wounded by your words. I have come here as a friend. I have come as an agent of angels! I’m here to warn you of a great threat that only you can stop! Now, shall we forget our past disagreements and reason together as allies?” he said.
Richard Dragon said, “The words of Isaiah do not belong on your oily tongue but the wisdom is still valid. Tell me more of this danger but be warned that I am sure that it is something you hope to profit from in the end!”
Ling said, “So, I am a man of commerce. Is that a crime?”
As Dragon bent down to secure the fallen gangsters, Ling added, “Ghost Dragons. They call themselves Ghost Dragons. They work for some bad dudes who want to destroy Hong Kong!”
Richard sighed and said, “I am listening!”
2
Inside the dojo, Richard Dragon sat quietly across from the previously presumed dead Barney Ling. Dragon had always known Ling to be a crafty plotter so he was not completely shocked to see the portly businessman. His disapproval was all too obvious however.
Ling glanced over at the other man and said, “I thought you enlightened types didn’t hold grudges, kid!”
Richard said, “Enlightenment is not a state one simply achieves but something one continually strives to earn! In other words, I still would like to make you pay for what you did to Ben. You tried to claim him as your personal living weapon. You treated him like he was just some unfeeling killing machine! You are as low a specimen of humanity as I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet!”
Ling said, “That’s old news. Ben Turner is back to normal. In fact from what I hear I did him a favor. Those assassins improved him and I gave him a chance to use what they taught him.”
Richard said, “You make me angry and anger is a fool’s god! Tell me again what brought you to me. Tell me more about this threat to Hong Kong!”
Ling said, “I got business connections in Hong Kong. I always have done business there. It is a great little place. Greed goes hand in hand with tradition! It’s kind of a retail China! One of my agents there tipped me off that the Ghost Dragons and their leader want to do something big that will wipe out half the population and leave the whole island open for them to loot. That would be a real shame! That would be wrong!”
“That would cost you money!” declared Dragon.
Ling moved his cigar around in his mouth and said, “Yeah, it would at that! I suppose word of my interest in the matter reached the gang and some of them followed me here.”
Dragon focused his breathing once more and summoned visual images of tranquil waters and gentle breezes. He knew there was a time to be hard as stone and a time to yield as the willow. He would go along with the crafty Ling but he would never trust the old schemer.
“This agent of yours will give us more information. Is that correct?” he said.
Ling said, “His name is Lee Sung and he can be trusted. He keeps his eyes and ears open and makes a good living doing so! He also owes me big for a favor I did for his sister once. He said he’d find out more for me. You just have to meet him first thing tomorrow at the tracks!”
Richard nodded warily. Why did it not seem unusual that any friend of Ling’s would spend time at a race track? Does everyone he knows have a larcenous streak as wide as his own? Gambling was a vice Dragon avoided as he knew all wise men sought to stay away from such weakness of heart and spirit.
Still, Richard had read about the world famous Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong island. It opened in 1845 and was so popular it now contained a shopping mall and cinema in addition to the celebrated tracks. The first racing horses had been brought to Hong Kong from Northern China in a tortuous voyage that had tested the skill of the crew and the courage of the poor animals.
He nodded and said, “I hope he is as good an informant as you are at cheating death!”
Ling shrugged and said, “About that, kid, when I took that fall after Turner went ape, I was hurt but I managed to get away. I had some employees around for that kind of scene. They hurried me off, fixed me up, and helped me get out of the country. I wouldn’t say I cheated death. I just persuaded him to wait on me for a while! Hopefully, he’ll have a real long wait!”
Dragon said, “You think this threat is too large for the regular authorities to handle. I suppose you also don’t think you should join me in Hong Kong and talk to your friend personally.”
Ling shifted uneasily and said, “You are more capable than any cop. Lee Sung might have some issues regarding some past salary disputes. I told him to expect you. I knew you would not refuse to protect the innocent people of Hong Kong. Plus, you can go into action on your own with a lot more ease if you don’t have to worry about keeping me safe!”
Richard smiled grimly. “Your safety is not a matter of concern to me!”
Richard also knew he could face such threats with a calm certainty of victory. He had been taught to do so and he would never shame his esteemed teacher. He also owed it to his own pupil to set an example of courage and honor.
After getting no additional information from the always mysterious Ling, they parted company and Ling hurried out into the night. He had assured Richard that he would be safe from any other attackers since the Ghost Dragon trio had been dealt with so effectively. Richard checked on them only to find that they had escaped from their ropes and disappeared as well. He was not concerned that they would return to the dojo since Ling had also departed and he knew the elderly O- Sensei was still more than a match for any gangster.
He swiftly took his leave from his teacher and briefly awakened young Ben to explain why he was leaving and to assure him that he would return.
The brave boy had wanted to join him but he had obeyed his mentor’s wishes that he remained behind with the elderly O-Sensei himself.
Hours later, Richard Dragon found himself in the famous Happy Valley Racecourse. His flight had been uneventful and the trip by tram to Hong Kong Island via Wong Nai Chung Road had actually been pleasant. The track was crowded as usual but since it was not a Wednesday the traditional race day it was far less busy than normal. Still, attractions like the Beer Garden, the Cinema, and Hong Kong Racing Museum were open and full of visitors and staffers.
He calmed himself and shut out some of the noise while making certain that he was still aware of everything in his vicinity. It was not easy to surprise Richard Dragon.
As he passed through the wide and stately doors of the Hong King Racing Museum and admired the impressive row of ten windows that loomed above the doors and the large black letters announcing the bright white building housed the racing museum, he noticed the rows of manikins dressed in the brightly colored racing silks of former champions. It was a garish display but it certainly caught one’s attention. There was artistry and skill in racing although he had certain concerns about how the horses were treated.
He noticed that a gaunt man in a blue suit was following him while trying to remain inconspicuous. He allowed the man to get closer and then he turned toward him and softly said, “Lee Sung? I am Richard Dragon.”
The bald man nodded eagerly and glanced once more around the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was a normal day at a popular tourist attraction.
“I am indeed Lee Sung. Thank you for coming. Mr. Ling said I should tell you what I have learned and that you would pay me well for my peril!” he said as he wrung his long thin hands together.
Dragon said, “Ling will pay you or you won’t be paid. In either case, the superior man answers when a higher cause calls to his spirit. Surely, saving lives and property is more vital than receiving monetary compensation.”
Lee Sung frowned and then sighed heavily. He opened his hands and nodded.
It was not clear if he was responding to Richard’s sincerity or if he was merely aware of how dangerous the Dragon could be if crossed! In spite of his open almost boyish demeanor, Richard did have a reputation for being a man with lethal abilities and the talent to achieve seeming miracles.
Lee Sung led him past a rather unsettling display of a horse that won the first race held at the course many years ago. Dragon did not think such preservation paid honor to the animals or those who cared for them.
“The first record of Hong Kong in Chinese history was around 221 BC. By the time the First Opium War ended, Hong Kong’s value as a trading center was established and it became a British Crown Colony in the 1840’s. It will return to Chinese control in 1997. Many people are opposed to this transfer while others seek to enrich themselves by it or prior to its initiation. I know the leader of the Ghost Dragons seeks to make some grand gesture to punish those who have spurned his people! He is British and very powerful but no one knows his name. ”
Richard said, “That is crazy. I don’t know much about the political situation but surely some British are equally supportive of the transfer. They will have had roughly 100 years to get used to the idea when 1997 arrives!”
“This mysterious Brit may be a mad man but he is willful and he is dangerous. I know that there are four targets on his agenda but I do not know what he plans to do! I barely managed to learn this much before my own situation became too perilous to continue asking questions. I have the targets on this paper!” he said as he passed Richard a crumpled document.
At that moment the previously serene museum erupted into chaos as several figures charged forward brandishing curved swords.
“The Scimitar! He is rumored to be the deadliest swordsman in all of the Far East!” gasped Lee Sung as he moved behind Richard Dragon.
The man wore a red robe with a matching turban. He was followed by seven other similarly clad swordsmen!
Richard leaped over and grabbed the horse display and shoved it down on the nearest attackers. He did not wait for them to dodge or fall. He dived forward over the tilting display and kicked the first swordsman in the face. He flipped backward and landed on his feet in the Sagi Ashi or Heron’s Leg stance. Momentarily bracing one leg against the other, he moved fluidly into an attack that enabled him to deflect two of the swords and bring their owners into range of a series of swift blows to their throats. They fell and he made use of their proximity to avoid attacks from the remaining four.
He noticed Lee Sung backing away from two of the swordsmen and he started to move toward the frightened man but he was blocked by the others.
He ducked a blade and elbowed the swordsman in the chest. He delivered a hook kick known as the ushiro mawashi geri and sent the first attacker tumbling to the floor. The second man sliced at him but he twisted to avoid the blade and grabbed the man’s wrist in a hold that snapped it and disarmed it.
A loud scream echoed through the room and he whirled to find Lee Sung.
“Have these fiends killed him?” he thought as he tried to find the gaunt informer.
He looked in surprise as the sixth killer fell backward at his feet. He smiled slightly as he saw the reason for the man’s abrupt defeat. A beautiful woman in a pink jacket and pants with matching slippers was holding a samurai sword in her hands as she laughed coldly and tossed back her long black hair. She faced the Scimitar himself and he circled her lithe form warily.
“Lady Shiva!” thought Richard as he recognized his old ally. Her real name was Sandra Wu-San and she had fought by his side in many adventures. He had been attracted to her but her eagerness to kill and her insistence that her only passion was for combat always came between them. Now, he was glad to see her. She was the most capable warrior he had ever met.
She caught his eye and laughed as she swiftly disarmed the legendary Scimitar and plunged her own weapon through his chest. She wiped the blade on his garment as he fell and she shook her head in dismay.
“How utterly disappointing! There is no truth in advertising. They actually called that worm a master swordsman!” she said to herself.
“Richard Dragon. It is refreshing to find that you still attract danger. That was always your best quality!” she said. “You do not disappoint!”
3
Richard Dragon quickly helped the frightened but unharmed Lee Sung depart from the island on a charter boat and then as he sat across from her in a small café, then he asked Lady Shiva for her help.
She looked at him in the way he remembered so well from their past together. He always wondered if she was amused by him for some reason or if she was secretly fond of him. He had never managed to get her to offer any affirmation. She was puzzling so many ways and yet she was also so very intriguing.
“I will offer my blade in your service while it remains entertaining to do so. As I said before you are reliably prone to place yourself and those who follow your path into peril. I do so like that trait. I actually came here for another reason. Hong Kong has become the home to a mystery man who may be worthy of his reputation unlike that foolish Scimitar! Have you heard of the White Crane? He appeared as if from nowhere around late 1984. He has eluded all attempts to capture or kill him and there have been many such attempts since he had set himself up as an intractable foe to the League of Assassins! He has not only survived all their attempts to slay him but he has bested every fighter he has faced and he has shattered if not fully eliminated the League. Half of them want to kill him while others wish to train under him. He is rumored to know fighting techniques no one else has ever seen!” she said.
“You wish to learn from him?” asked Richard.
Lady Shiva scowled as if she was dealing with a slow pupil. “I wish to kill him!”
Richard said, “Shiva, you aren’t working for the League! Surely you wouldn’t surrender all honor by joining them!”
Lady Shiva said, “I will never join them. If they offer me challenging work I may accept an occasional mission on their behalf. In this case, I merely want to test myself against the White Crane! Since he is here I believe he may be working against the League and it is just possible your own mission will bring you to him. The League could be behind this mystery man you are opposing.”
Richard nodded and said, “We could use the White Crane’s help if he truly does oppose my enemies!”
Lady Shiva shrugged and said, “If he is useful to you I will not kill him immediately! After all, I have time even if he does not!”
Richard said, “The target list consists of four locations: the Avenue of Stars, the Ladies Market, the Clock Tower, and Peak Tower! We’ll have to cover them as best we can!”
One of the targets was already a scene of violent action! The Peak Tower was constructed in 1969 below Victoria Peak summit. It stood 1299 feet with twin upper floors supported by two ornate columns. The viewing platforms were very popular tourist spots. The quirky exhibits found within the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditarium” also drew visitors of every type. None of the bizarre displays were as colorful or as lethal as the Korean martial artist known as Shatterfist! He wore red pants with an elaborate horned face mask that concealed his features even as his bare chest revealed his muscular form all too well. He ignored the stares of those innocents who had come to the tower for its majestic view. He was a man with a mission all of his own. He moved out of view of the passersby and into the shadows near an empty section of the Peak Tower plaza. He placed a small device against one wall and started to make certain adjustments when a shadow fell across his work area and he whirled to see a newcomer.
He had dark hair and wore a solid white outfit with a scarf that covered his lower face. His eyes were striking with intelligence and determination and compassion. He was a supremely skilled fighter but in spite of the losses he had suffered, he was once more the hero he had always been in a very different life.
He drew upon this customary courage as he approached the masked villain.
“I do not believe you’re here to see the man with the longest beard in the world!” he said as he gestured down to the Ripley building.
Shatterfist silently dived at him but the man in white dodged him with ease. He stood ready for the next attack and countered it with an effortless motion that sent Shatterfist reeling!
The Korean killer cursed and then concentrated for a moment. His hands began to glow a vibrant shade of red and crackled with energy.
He smiled wickedly and aimed another attack at the White Crane! The White Crane readily recognized his foe’s destructive energy and avoided contact once more but even as he dodged the gleaming energy that surrounded Shatterfist’s hands, he connected with three lightning fast strikes of his own that dropped his enemy to the pavement.
He made certain his foe was unconscious and then he examined the device he had planted moments before. It was some type of explosive device that had been designed to disperse its contents through the area. He assumed it was a toxin of some type. He could dispose of it safely himself so he carefully lifted it and made certain once more that the timer had not been activated.
“Every name I take off the membership roster of the League of Assassins brings me closer to my goal. I can only believe that each victory also brings me closer to knowing myself more fully. These four years of pain and toil have been worthwhile since my memories have slowly returned and I have made progress on my vow to bring down the villains who robbed me of my very self!” he thought.
A girl of around 15 came up beside him and said, “His men were not that difficult to beat. They didn’t have a sensei with your talent!”
She had long dark hair and a pretty face. She wore a solid black costume with a dark scarf across her lower face. She was agile and moved with a combination of power and precision like a deadly dancer. Her features indicated that she had one Caucasian parent and one who came from the Orient. She was unconcerned and would have been puzzled if the question had been posed to her. She remembered her father all too well but she had never known her mother.
“Cassandra, you have taught me more than I have ever taught you. Our four years together have been meaningful to me for many reasons. When I found you in Tokyo you were alone and we both needed a friend. You’ve been more than a friend. You are like a sister to me!” he said
She nodded and smiled slowly. She liked his words and the feelings they invoked in her but her social skills were lacking and she didn’t exactly know what the right response was.
As Val Armorr led his pupil Cassandra Cain into the streets of Hong Kong, the former Legionnaire little knew that his time-tossed crusade to bring down the League of Assassins was nearing its conclusion!
4
The White Crane (Val Armorr) had led a colorful life. His mother had been an adventuress/bounty hunter. His father had been a notorious criminal known as the Black Dragon. He had never known his father but he had enjoyed having a father figure in the form of his own sensei the heroic Toshiaki. He mastered every known form of the martial arts and embraced his mentor’s heroic philosophy. Eventually, he became a member of a group of young champions the Legion of Super Heroes. He fell in love and married one of the other members the regal beauty known as Princess Projectra. Their time together was blissful but short since he gave his life saving her home world from a group of criminals. Apparently, death was a temporary condition for him since he was revived by a sinister group known as the League of Assassins and he was brainwashed into becoming their amnesiac pawn. He eventually reunited with his friends and regained enough of his memories to motivate him to vow to destroy the League if possible. Since Val and his allies lived in the distant future, he had to use a time machine to journey back to the 1980’s where he could cut off the League at its root. He adopted the heroic identity of White Crane in honor of his old mentor who had also used that name in their own era. He had been successful and in time his memories returned. He longed to be reunited with his wife but he knew two things. He could not return and keep his honor without fulfilling his vow to shatter the evil group and because of the vagaries of time travel while he had suffered separation from Jeckie for four years, he could return shortly after he left and thus make her own separation from him much shorter and less painful!
He had never expected to meet the solitary Cassandra Cain or become her sensei. He now realized that she had helped him regain the humanity and compassion that had always marked his character before his own brainwashing. Now, as he looked over at the silent girl in black he thought of her troubled past.
If Val had been raised to be a living weapon Cassandra could be said to have literally been conceived with their purpose. Her assassin father David Cain had sought out a means of creating the perfect killer. He decided to father a child who would then be raised by him with no other attributes but the ability of effectively fight and kill his foes. He did not bother to teach his little girl how to talk or how to read. He merely helped her learn lessons of pain and physical development. She was a skilled pupil and upon her eight birthday at his urging she did take a life. She had not fully understood what her actions meant nor had the moral implications ever occurred to her mind. She did realize that she didn’t agree with her father’s code of morality and she fled from him. She wondered the world as a lonely orphan until Val had found her and befriended her. He had helped her develop speech patterns and he had taught her to read on a basic level. He hoped he had also managed to make her feel valued and appreciated as a child should be cherished. She was a delightful if strange girl. She was troubled at times by her past and Val had encouraged her by saying she merely owed life more than others since she had taken a life once before. She would give back by defending those who could not protect themselves. She would follow his lead and battle the League that had so altered both of their lives!
Cassandra occasionally wondered who her mother was and how she could have left her with the cold David Cain. She also wished she had somehow been able to make the woman want to stay with her and love her. She tried not to brood and for the most part she was a quiet but kind girl.
After examining the bomb and neutralizing it, Val explained its purpose to her.
“I am not a scientist but the technology of my own era is advanced enough that I can determine this chemical was meant to be disseminated across Hong Kong with the purpose of killing as many people as possible. I don’t believe the League is finished here. Shatterfist was merely one agent of many. He certainly lacks the brains to make such a device!” he said.
Cassandra nodded and said, “How do we find the others?”
He said, “I suspect since the first location was a popular tourist attraction the same may be said of future targets!”
She smiled readily and said, “Like the Ladies Market?”
He said, “You do love that place don’t you? Well, it does have a wide variety of stores and shopping areas. It is a natural target! We shall check it out among other locales!”
As they hurried toward the famous shopping district, they suddenly encountered Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva who knew the Market was on their list of possible targets!
Lady Shiva smiled eagerly as she recognized the costume of the White Crane from the rumors she had heard about the warrior.
“The White Crane! I have longed for the moment when we might meet! You are said to be a true master of the art of combat!” she said.
Richard Dragon said, “I am Richard Dragon. She is Lady Shiva. If you oppose the League of Assassins then we are on the same side! Do not rush into violence because Shiva so relishes a fight!”
Lady Shiva frowned but she nodded slowly. “He speaks the truth although his desire for alliance delays the satisfaction I seek from battle!”
The White Crane said, “I have heard of you both. Richard Dragon, your own reputation brands you as a man of peace drawn into a violent life. Join me if you wish! I do wage war on the League along with my pupil.”
Dragon said, “They mean to strike at the Peak Tower, Ladies Market, the Avenue of Stars, and the Clock Tower!”
The White Crane said, “We were on our way to the Ladies Market! We already stopped an attack at the Peak Tower!”
Dragon rubbed the jade dragon’s claw around his neck. As always the mystical stone heightened his physical abilities and helped him focus his other senses with greater clarity and perception.
“If you and your pupil go to the Market, Lady Shiva may take the Avenue of Stars while I shall head to the Clock Tower. I feel like we have no time to waste!” he said.
The others agreed readily but Lady Siva thought, “When this is over I shall test the White Crane for myself!”
5
Lady Shiva was not so much opposed to helping those in need as much as she simply preferred to indulge her passion for using her combat skills in life or death battles. It was in fact the only thing that truly made her feel alive since her beloved sister had been murdered years ago. She had wrongly blamed Richard Dragon for the loss of Carolyn but once the misconception had been cleared up they had formed an informal alliance. If she cared for him she concealed her feelings or suppressed them beneath an icy veneer of lethal beauty and mocking humor.
She knew Hong Kong like the back of her hand. She had travelled the globe since her youth and it was while she was in Asia that she had in fact met David Cain and trained with him. He had offered her lessons in exchange for her agreement to provide him with a child. Cassandra had been that child although since Lady Shiva had walked away from the baby mere days after giving birth, she had no way of knowing this. If she ever thought about the baby she had given away or its fate, she certainly never verbalized these musings. Now, she did wonder a bit about the White Crane’s silent pupil. The girl seemed to share some of her own physicality but the realization of this was not something she pondered. She merely felt something odd about the girl. Lady Shiva had left the baby behind and to meet up with her sister. The duo trained together but Lady Shiva never told her about the baby or her deal with David Cain. Carolyn was killed years later after departing to attend college in America. By that time, Lady Shiva had become a formidable warrior who had no time for family or motherhood.
She certainly had no time for frivolous things like the popular Avenue of Stars! The plaza was dedicated to a celebration of Hong Kong cinema. Hong Kong was often called the “Hollywood of the East” and displays and huge posters paid tribute to actors like Bruce Lee and Lai Man-Wai the director of the first film made there in 1913. Huge murals attracted eager crowds as did the rows of handprints in cement. She scowled in contempt at the sightseers and she scanned the area for danger.
She frowned again as her keen eyes caught sight of someone who didn’t seem to belong with the others. She was dressed like any Westernized Asian woman. She was beautiful and was dressed in what seemed to be a slightly ironic style of short plaid skirt, black heels, and black jacket. Her long red hair had a curl to it and her red lips formed a cruel smile. The red hair was clearly a wig. She carried a large bag over one shoulder.
She was clearly in incredible shape and yet Lady Shiva could tell from the way she walked that the bag was unusually heavy. Lady Shiva was an expert on physicality and perhaps no one else could match her awareness of individualized patterns of movement. No one would ever fool her with a simple disguise. She certainly was not fooled by the stylish glasses worn by the newcomer.
“Jade Nguyen a.k.a. Cheshire!” she thought as she drew closer to the infamous killer.
Cheshire caught her eye and her own smile broadened. She moved almost seductively away from the crowd into the Cinema Palace itself and Lady Shiva warily followed her.
By the time Lady Shiva had reached the killer, Cheshire had discarded the glasses and red wig and stood in the sanchin-dachi or immovable stance.
They exchanged no words as Lady Shiva leaped at her foe and managed to grappled with her in spite of Cheshire’s remarkable agility. She knew each of Cheshire’s sharp red nails was poisoned.
Lady Shiva tried to ram her knee into her foe’s mid-section but Cheshire twisted and blocked the move with her own leg. She raked her nails across Lady Shiva’s chest but only managed to rip open her shirt. Shiva had pulled back before any scratch could be made. She slammed her palm into Cheshire’s chin and followed up with another blow to the face. She grunted as Cheshire rammed her head into Lady Shiva’s face swept her legs off the ground.
Lady Shiva rolled aside and flipped back to land on top of Cheshire as the other woman dived after her. She wrapped her legs around her throat and pulled back as she exerted pressure. Cheshire shredded one leg of Shiva’s pants but failed once more to cut her as Shiva slammed her head into the floor.
They circled one another as each regained her footing.
“You aren’t looking well at all! I think you may be dying” said Cheshire.
Lady Shiva said, “And you seem to have gained weight!”
She kicked Cheshire in the face and spun around in the Ippon-Ashi-dachi stance! She was truly a thing of beauty in her precision and grace. The ballet lost a prima ballerina when Shiva focused all her talents on martial arts! She grinned as Cheshire fell again. She flipped over her back and rolled her into a tight package. She hooked her leg and started to deliver a stunning nerve strike and Cheshire managed to reverse the motion and catch Shiva in a hold that enabled her to pin her flat. She raised her gleaming red nails and smiled wickedly. Lady Shiva struggled but for once she did not have the leverage to break free. She hissed in anger and spat in Cheshire’s face.
Cheshire brought down her hand but Lady Shva turned her head in time to avoid the first strike. She copied Cheshire’s former move and hit her with her own head.
She kicked free as she brought her legs up and then used them to lift and throw her opponent.
She rolled across the floor and managed to bring a huge framed poster of Bruce Lee down on top of Cheshire.
By the time the Assassin had shoved the display aside, Lady Shva was ready for the attack! She pummeled Cheshire with a blindingly fast series of nerve strikes and finally used a spinning high mai-geri kick to knock her cold!
She hurried over to secure the discarded bag and as the authorities rushed closer, she ran out of the room. She avoided all of them and leaned back against a wall in a darkened alley. She had won but as her ragged outfit and battered body showed, the fight had been a difficult one. She smiled in pleasure. Then, she did something completely out of character. She sank down to the ground and passed out. Cheshire’s perfume had been a potent narcotic and Lady Shiva had finally succumbed to it. She would recover but for now she was out of the fight.
6
The White Crane and Cassandra immediately engaged two colorful figures in combat upon reaching the luxurious and brilliantly illuminated section of the city known as the Ladies Market. While the commercial district was known for having goods of every possible type on display for purchase by eager shoppers, the abundance of fine fabrics used for dresses gave rise to the name of the Ladies Market! It could in some ways be called the Times Square of Hong Kong since every corner was marked by a flashing sign or dynamically painted promotional billboard. An Indian woman in a tight white leotard with a skullcap style hood stood on top of one gleaming marquee and crouched over her own bomb.
Her name was Amba Kadira of the Steel Claws! She was one of the deadliest assassins ever to emerge from India because of her incredible fighting prowess and the steel nails that were grafted to ends of her fingers.
She was not alone. A teen girl with a Ghost Dragons jacket and red bandana over her black hair stood nearby. The White Crane made his way toward Steel Claws while Cassandra swung up and over a railing to confront the teen gang member.
“Stop! Don’t move!” shouted the White Crane as he approached the Indian woman.
She sneered at him and lashed out with her razor sharp metallic nails! He dodged and then circled her in an effort to move between her and the bomb resting at her feet.
She kicked out at him but he blocked her attack and countered with one of his own. She gasped in surprise as he unleashed a flurry of moves that were not like anything she had ever witnessed before. He was upon her in seconds and using the Kryptonian martial art called Klurkor, he not only knocked her backward but managed to sever the metallic nails from her fingers with a series of lighting quick and remarkably precise blows. She stared in shock as he delivered a final jab from the Rimborian judo called Kai-Tan and dropped her to the ground.
Meanwhile, Cassandra had grappled with the girl named Lynx and found her to be a capable foe but lacking in her own level of skill. She kicked her in the face and punched her in the jaw. Lynx was out cold in a matter of moments.
The White Crane secured the bomb and smiled at his young pupil.
“We have it. If Richard and Lady Shiva do as well, then perhaps, the last group of killers that remain active in the League shall be captured. My work will be done here at that moment!” he said.
Cassandra nodded sadly. She would miss her mentor but she didn’t know how to express her feelings.
He knew what she was thinking and touched her gently on the cheek.
“Cassandra, would you like to come with me to my era?” he asked.
She hesitated and then slowly said, “Yes but I think I need to stay here for closing…closure? I want to find my mother and learn more about myself. I can’t do that in your time!”
He patted her shoulder and said, “I understand. You are already a better fighter than I was when I was your age. It is like you read body language automatically. You are really special. I don’t want you to be alone though. We’ll find a place for you or I won’t leave!”
Meanwhile, Richard Dragon made his way up the impressive structure known as the Clock Tower. The 144 foot edifice had once been the Kowloon Canton Railway Clock Tower. The red brick and granite clock with a lightning rod and wooden stairs looked over Victoria Harbor. The four sided clock was impressive and had run continuously since 1921 except for the dark days of the Japanese occupation. The original station had been demolished in 1977 but the four sided clock survived as part of the newer building.
Richard was impressive by what he saw but he focused on the task at hands. He didn’t worry about Lady Shiva since she was so capable nor did he doubt the ability of his new friends the White Crane and his pupil. He was good at reading people himself and he trusted his instincts. Trust was essential in the superior man who wished to better himself.
He soon found himself facing five Ghost Dragon gang members and an elegant looking blond man in a white suit. His jacket was pulled back and his open shirt revealed a dragon tattoo on his chest.
He looked over at Dragon although Richard’s approach had been silent and unseen.
“Richard Dragon! I heard you were in the city and that you sought to oppose my efforts to punish the ingrates for rejecting British culture. You are known to me and I look forward to killing you!” he declared.
Richard touched the jade dragon that hung around his neck and assumed a combat stance known as musubi-dachi or closed heels stance.
He waited as the young punks charged at him and then he closed in on them and effortlessly connected with a nerve punch to the throat that stunned the first man. He rolled across the narrow walkway and rose up to grab and flip the next attacker to a hanging sign below. He landed on the platform and did not rise again. He would live but he would be sore.
Dragon ducked another Ghost Dragon and caught his hurled chain. He pulled him closer and kicked him three times in succession!
The largest Ghost Dragon tried to grab Richard but he shoved him back and then used a judo throw to send him after his ally to the platform below.
The final Ghost Dragon threw a shuriken at Dragon who whirled, caught it, and hurled it back in one smooth motion that left his foe bleeding and prone on the marquee.
Applause echoed as the smirking blond leader approached and said, “Well done, Dragon. I am King Snake- Edmund Dorrance. It is your honor to face me!”
As Richard looked up at the arrogant man, he realized that he was blind! Somehow he was able to use his other senses to more than compensate for the loss of sight. Richard had done so before as well during a time in which his eyes had been temporarily damaged.
Now, he touched the jade dragon once more and silently willed the very essence of his will to empower him. He lashed out at King Snake who countered and waited. He stopped and spun around with a kick that narrowly missed his target. King Snake laughed and grabbed for his leg but he was also too slow.
Dragon calmed himself and connected with a jab to the upper arm that left King Snake’s left arm numb. He received a jab to his own chest and gasped for breath.
King Snake said, “I hate the way the natives here dared to reject the colonial rule and have now sought a return to Chinese domination! They will die for their insolence and so shall you!”
He kicked out and Richard felt the blow connect with his stomach. He lowered his head and matched King Snake with two strikes of his own.
He ducked a whirling kick and leaped forward to knock his foe off balance.
They struggled for a moment and then King Snake dived to one side and held up the bomb he had placed.
“Surrender, young Dragon! I do not wish to detonate this toxin now. I have much to live for!” he said with a sneer.
Dragon nodded and studied the scene. He could cross the area in time to stop the detonation should his foe truly be so willing to die.
He made his move and dived forward. With one hand he secured the bomb while his other hand jabbed King Snake’s throat and knocked him cold.
It had been a close fight but he had triumphed.
Later, the heroes had assembled once more. Lady Shiva was still woozy from the narcotic she had inhaled during her fight with Cheshire but she was defiant as ever.
“I would learn the secrets you are rumored to have!” she said to White Crane.
He smiled and said, “I already have a prize pupil and she receives all my attention!”
Cassandra stared at Lady Shiva. There was something about her that captivated the girl.
Richard Dragon said, “We have stopped King Snake’s plot. He and all his allies are imprisoned. From everything I have heard you have destroyed the League of Assassins or at least removed their major players from being threats.”
The White Crane said, “I vowed to do so. I will return to my own home after Cassandra has a place of her own!”
Dragon said, “She would be most welcome to study with my other pupils at the Kyoto dojo at which I teach!”
Cassandra said, “I think I would like that. I would also like to return here someday and do my best to help those who need help!”
Val kissed her on the cheek and said, “That would be great. You’ve helped me more than you know. We will see each other again! I promise you that!”
Lady Shiva scowled. There was something about the girl that caught her attention. She wondered about this sensation and remained silent. Testing herself against the White Crane could wait until a future time. She knew that she was truly not at her best as she fought off the effects of the drug she had inhaled.
Richard bowed toward the White Crane and the man from the future returned the gesture.
A strange glowing sphere appeared and the White Crane said, “My ride is here! I wish you all well and I thank you for your help!”
He entered the strange craft and Dragon noticed a lovely woman in a revealing red costume awaited the White Crane within the machine. They embraced as he entered the machine and then it vanished.
Richard turned to Cassandra and said, “You will be a very welcome pupil. I may learn much for you as well!”
Cassandra nodded slowly and said, “Thank you. I wish to improve myself!”
The trio walked away and Richard Dragon breathed a silent prayer of safe homecoming for the man known as the White Crane. He also vowed to do all he could for the mysterious girl who would be his newest pupil! It was a new beginning and for that he was truly thankful!
The End