Burning Monday: (Dane Monday 2)

by Liggio, Dennis

  "Perhaps I have a gadget," said Dane, starting to dig through his satchel. The Thousand Hand members looked on with amusement, but they would not have felt danger even if he had a gun. After the fight with Scar, they did not question their control of the rooftop.

  "Fei Zhang, Betrayer, step forward!" called out Mingxia.

  Wong sighed in resignation and reluctantly stepped forward a few steps. His face was sad, his voice plaintive. "It's time to finally end this. I'm sorry for running. I'm sorry for not returning to set things right."

  "Fei Zhang, you stand accused of crimes against the Thousand Hands," said Mingxia, ignoring his words. "Disobeying direct orders, deserting your post and position, and helping enemies of the cause. How do you plead?"

  Wong's brow knotted in confusion. "I have done none of these things."

  "Do you not admit that you stopped a member of the Thousand Hands from killing its enemies?"

  "I stopped you from killing a mother and her newborn child," said Wong. "I stopped you from indulging in this madness."

  "Do you deny that you deserted your post and role in the Thousand Hands?"

  "You stabbed me and left me for dead!" said Wong. "I washed my hands of your misguided war against those who could not defend themselves!"

  "Do you deny that you left me? Do you deny that you left me alone - after our whole lives together, you left me to shoulder the burden alone in a world full of monsters?" Her voice was now full of emotion, shrill and shrieking.

  "I'm sorry I left you, but you went too far!" said Wong. "You had let hatred begin to devour you, and now I see it has destroyed you." He paused, his face sad. "I am sorry I did not end things sooner."

  "Then you admit your guilt on all charges?" said Mingxia, regaining some control of her voice.

  The conversation was interrupted by the very loud sound of the second elevator rising to the roof. Mingxia cast a glare at Ox Mask and Mouse Mask, but both shrugged to indicate they had no idea of the interruption. Both grabbed two other masked members and moved toward the elevator.

  The elevator reached the roof, revealing Abby, Meilin, and three knocked out Thousand Hand assassins. "Husband!" shouted Meilin. Seeing the unconscious guards, Ox and Mouse masks paused, waiting for a better read on the situation.

  "Oh no... no..." said Wong, shaking his head and feeling fear in the pit of his stomach.

  Abby ran over to Dane. "You left without me!"

  "I... well, things happened," he said. "How did you get up here? There were guards!"

  "She took care of them," said Abby, pointing at Meilin, who was walking up to them. Meilin's dark hair was now loose, a white flower in her hair, and she was wearing a white robe. As she came close, Dane could almost feel a gentle spring breeze.

  "You shouldn't have come here!" said Wong to Meilin.

  "And you are a fool, Husband!" said Meilin. "Of course I would come to your side."

  "Husband?" said Mingxia with growing surprise and rage. "Husband? Husband?" The air around Mingxia began to blur from heat.

  Wong turned back to Mingxia and put his hands up and palms out to pacify her. "Look, I'll admit guilt to all the charges and offer my life, but don't hurt any of them! Especially not her!"

  "You are already here, we already have you!" said Mingxia. "Why would I do you any favors? Why would you think you would have the right to bargain in the face of this... this... insult!"

  "Because deep down, you're still the same Mingxia I knew in that forest with the old man," said Wong. "Deep down, there's some part that still cares. And all I'm asking is a favor. I know there's much I deserve, but take it out on me. They are all innocent. Meilin did not come into my life until after I had left my life with the cause. They are not involved. Just take me."

  "Why would you do this, husband?" said Meilin.

  Wong turned back to her. "Meilin, I love you more than anything in the world. You know this. But I have spent so much time running. I have done terrible things. My past is coming back to me. I don't have much responsibility in life - I've been coasting for many years. The shop is destroyed, our hiding place gone. My only responsibility left in this life is to you. If I can give my life to save you, then that is enough. That's a good enough ending for this old life. One last act to insure you're safe and complete my responsibilities."

  Meilin gave a soft chuckle, almost like a bubbling brook. "Husband, your responsibilities are not over. They have just begun. Husband, I am pregnant!"

  Wong's mouth fell open in shock. Behind them Mingxia erupted in a silent rage. Dane and Abby were also completely surprised by this new information. Scar caught the mask-eye of one of the Thousand Hands and shrugged, since this information meant nothing to him.

  Wong stepped to Meilin and put his arms around her. "How is this even possible? We have tried for so many years..."

  Meilin shrugged. "I know not, only that it is true. We will have children!"

  Dane had known Wong to be a jovial man, someone who was quick to jokes and tricks, someone who loved to laugh. But in this moment, Dane realized he had never seen a look of pure joy on Wong's face until now. Something seemed to glow in his face as Wong took in this news.

  Then Wong let go of Meilin and turned around. In that turning, his clothes changed from casual modern clothing to traditional green Chinese robes etched with gold. His beard grew and his eyes turned fierce. He pulled the stick from his pocket and it became his ornate serpent spear. The spear seemed to glow with power.

  "This changes everything," he said to Mingxia, his voice gruff and serious. There was nothing plaintive in this voice. This voice foreshadowed the coming fight, the fight that both knew was inevitable.

  "Yes, it does," said Mingxia, seething with rage, licks of fire crawling in a halo around her. "Everyone will die. You, them, her, everyone! Everyone!" She turned to the Thousands Hands. "Get them!"

  The masked men tensed for action, but Wong held up his hand, and in a voice that sounded like it came out of a megaphone shouted, "Wait!"

  His loud voice was enough that it stilled the muscles of the assembled warriors. All eyes returned to him.

  "I invoke the Right of Challenge!" said Wong. "By Thousand Hands rules, an animal spirit, whether a member of the group or not, can challenge the current leader for control of the organization in single combat."

  "Is this true?" said Mouse Mask.

  "It is," said Mingxia. "We just have lacked so many animal spirits over the last century that it has barely mattered. I see your gambit, Fei Zhang, and I want you to know how much it delights me that it is a failure." She smiled wickedly.

  Wong narrowed his eyes. "Why do you say that?"

  "According to the same rules, you are ineligible for the challenge! When you deserted the Thousand Hands, you abandoned any claim to challenge!" Once again she turned to the Thousand Hands. "Get him!"

  Wong rushed forward, charging Mingxia on her throne. Because of this action, the major force of Thousand Hands went after him. Protecting their leader was their priority order. The assassins leapt into the air ("Just like ninjas!" argued Dane later), their fists on fire as they rushed toward Wong. Halfway through his charge, Wong leapt into the air and spun his serpent spear. Winds whipped around him, tossing away Thousand Hands members, but where those fell, there were still more of them. As he landed, they rushed him and piled on him. Wong disappeared under the assassins.

  Since nearly every Thousand Hand member went after Wong, Dane and the others stood awkwardly. Dane was digging in his satchel for a defensive item. Meilin had pulled out a white fan and took a fighting stance. Scar had transformed into a wolf again but had not attacked anyone, at this point uncaring which side won. Abby had taken out her camera, not wanting to miss this footage. There were only three Thousand Hand assassins not engaging Wong, not including Wolf Mask who had decided not to fight. The three assassins looked uneasily at Dane and his friends. They were outnumbered, the wolf looked fierce, and they didn't know what to make of Meilin, who on second gla
nce looked uncomfortably similar to their all-powerful leader. Instead of attacking, they circled Dane's allies, keeping on guard.

  With a roar, Thousand Hand members went flying as Wong emerged from underneath his attackers. Swinging his serpent spear, he tossed them in all directions as he ran toward Mingxia. He would not be defeated. Masked warriors grabbed at him, catching his shoulders, but were ignored as Wong continued forward, the masked figures that were holding on trying to slow him down but failing.

  "Enough!" shouted Mingxia. The Thousand Hands let go and stopped their assault, so Wong also paused. She finally stood from her chair. She drew her sword and held it in the air. Very slowly and purposefully the flames which surrounded her stretched the length of the blade. "Do you remember this sword, Wong?"

  "I remember when I gave it to you, to start our fight for justice. And I remember it very well when you impaled me with it," said Wong. He tried to stay fierce, but his appearance betrayed him. Seeing the sword made his beard shrink slightly, his eyes became less blazing.

  Mingxia nodded. "And as I know now, it wasn't enough to kill you. But much has changed in the intervening years."

  "I do not care to debate who will in, I am here to fight for my family!" said Wong, rushing toward Mingxia.

  There battle started with feints and dodging. Mingxia used her speed to step out of the way of Wong's spinning spear. Her own sword strikes were ducked by Wong. And then their weapons clashed. In a parry, sword and spear came together with a bright flash, sparks jumping into the air, flames snuffed in the wind. And then they pulled away and again their weapons struck, a dramatic clang, power racing across the entire rooftop.

  It was a dance of fire and wind, of old enemies and even older friends. It was a conflict that seemed destined from the moment they had become more than foxes. It was the final fight based on choices made over long centuries. Gusts and flames washed over the roof, the heat and air flowing past Dane and his friends as well as the Thousand Hands. No one else fought as they watched the mesmerizing duel of Wong and Mingxia, rage and determination causing flashes of light and clanging metal sounds.

  Mingxia jumped and her blade came down. Wong blocked it with the haft of his serpent spear, but Mingxia did not relent. Continuing to pour all her energy into the strike, it seemed like she fell forever, her power almost increasing the gravity as it pushed down on the spear. Wong stood his ground, his feet rooted, trying to dig deep into that immovable force that dwelled in the earth and channeled through all buildings. The wind swirled around him, twisting up from his feet, around his legs, up through his abdomen and chest, and then around his arms as he held back against the relentless attack that pushed down upon him.

  With a massive crack, light surged out, blinding everyone else on the rooftop. They all turned their heads and rubbed their eyes, trying to get their vision back so they could see what happened in the fight. Most got their sight back around the same time, soon enough to see that one opponent stood while the other had fallen.

  As more detail came back to their vision, Abby gasped.

  Mingxia stood, her sword at her side. Wong lay on the ground, his serpent spear broken, his shoulder bleeding.

  "Take him," said Mingxia, gesturing at Wong with her sword. She was out of breath, though she tried to cover up her fatigue. "Stand him up. I want him standing up for judgment." The masked men grabbed Wong.

  "No, you will not!" said Meilin.

  Abby tried to pull her back. "Don't!"

  "You have no right to judge Husband!" said Meilin.

  "Just wait, your judgment will come soon!" said Mingxia.

  "Wait, let's not be hasty!" said Dane. "I'm sure there's some way we can come to some sort of agreement. No one has to die!"

  Mingxia laughed. "Of course someone has to die."

  Meilin tried to step forward, but Abby still pulled her back. "Don't! She'll kill you!"

  Shrugging off Abby, Meilin moved forward. She stepped close to Mingxia, who looked amused by her presence. "What is it?" said Mingxia. "I know in a look you are just some sheltered forest spirit. Never worthy. Never worthwhile."

  Defiantly, Meilin looked her in the eye and ignored her words. "I invoke the Right of Challenge."

  Round Two Fight!

  Abby gasped. Some of the Thousand Hands let out similarly surprised noises. Dane cocked his head. Scar decided he was down to see two chicks scrap.

  "No, don't..." said Wong feebly from the arms of his captors.

  "I don't have time for this," said Mingxia. "This has all gone on far too long already."

  "I invoke the Right of Challenge," said Meilin again. "I'm an animal spirit. I've never abandoned any Thousand Hands of Fire duties. I've never had such duties."

  "This is foolish. You're some sheltered spirit, go away," said Mingxia dismissively, turning to look at Wong.

  "She has a valid claim," said Wolf Mask, his voice calm though with his half mask, he looked disorganized and dirty. "You must fight her."

  "What did you say?" said Mingxia with anger.

  "I've spent a long time reviewing the Thousand Hand laws concerning animal spirits, it's kind of a hobby of mine, and -"

  "You dare undermine me?" said Mingxia.

  "He's correct, though," said Mouse Mask. "We all know this. You even agreed that those were the rules earlier. She has a valid claim."

  There were various sounds of agreement from the other Thousand Hands. They were apprehensive, not wanting to attract Mingxia's wrath, but during their training they all had the rules of the Thousand Hands of Fire drilled into their heads. They knew the rights and bylaws.

  Ox Mask answered next, but his voice was small, as he knew that he was delivering news that would be unliked and would get him punished later. "And the rules are very clear that if you refuse, you forfeit your leadership."

  Mingxia looked around, seeing that the attitude of her followers had turned against her. In her mind, she kept track of who had argued against her. They would feel her wrath later. But for now, she needed to maintain control.

  "Fine, forest spirit," said Mingxia, coiling into a fighting stance. "Challenge accepted. But you know that this fight can be to the death at the winner's discretion."

  "As are the rules of the animal world." Meilin got into a fighting stance, her body relaxed, a contrast to the tense stance of Mingxia. "Let's stop pretending. We both use the illusion that we are human because it is useful, but neither of us are one of them."

  "Well said," said Mingxia. "And so you die."

  Both then launched into motion. Like a fireball, Mingxia burst forward explosively, her steps sudden and the halo of fire around her blazing and expanding. She moved faster than any human could, like a rocket launched at Meilin. A wave of heat rippled out from her across the roof.

  If Mingxia's movements were the essence of fire, Meilin's were anything but that. In an almost slow movement, Meilin leapt forward, one foot out like a ballet jump, her body languidly moving through the air, her robe billowing in the air behind her. But she wasn't slow - as if some trick of perception, Meilin jumped forward in the air, her movement not continuous but instead shifting suddenly, as if she were some ghost. Translucent white energy seemed to surround her, shifting and flowing forward, a swirling mist. Those directly behind Meilin did not feel Mingxia's heat wave. Instead they felt a cool breeze, a waterfall, a gentle spring rain. Abby was mesmerized by Meilin's movements.

  But all this was pregame, all this was just ultimately showboating. It was the prelude to a clash. As soon as they were in striking distance, Mingxia's sword whipped out in a slash, attempting to outright behead Meilin. But the other woman simply lunged forward, low and deep. Without stopping, she flowed under Mingxia's slash and then went upward, her fan and her mist erupting within Mingxia's guard. The woman of fire lashed out almost in a panic, but Meilin continued upward, pulled by her tendrils of mist. As Mingxia's sword flashed in a horizontal strike, Meilin's toe connected with the flat of her blade, using it to push hersel
f higher. At the apex of her jump, Meilin's hand and the fan shot forward, as if wringing them of water and cold mist shot down at Mingxia. The latter swept her sword and fire around as protection. She suffered no harm, but where the mist struck her flames, they diminished, letting off steam. Meilin landed a few feet away in a swish of wind and water.

  "So you're fast. That alone does not win a fight," said Mingxia, but there was a note of worry in her voice.

  Meilin simply smiled. Her body pirouetted and turned toward Mingxia, and then she seemed to vanish. Her body became translucent and white before disappearing entirely so even Dane and Abby didn't know where she went. They weren't alone, as most of those assembled on the roof looked around in confusion as well. But Mingxia was not fooled. She paused for timing, then let out a slash. A huge curving scythe fire cut through the air, the flames far wider than her sword. It was at the end of the slash where the sword met the fan, Meilin appearing behind it. The fire was extinguished at the point where the two weapons met.

  Then Meilin seemed to slide forward, once again past Mingxia's guard and up in her personal space. Angered to have her foe that close, Mingxia slashed out, but Meilin was so close that she simply twisted around Mingxia, the fan twirling and turning to stop the sword at every point. Unlike earlier where there was a dramatic sound and sight when Wong's weapon connected with the sword, here there was nothing. Instead of a clash of force, when sword and fan met, there was no sound. The sword simply stopped, as if all force was immediately sapped. While Meilin did not appear to actually strike Mingxia at any point, nor did she get hurt by the fire. Instead, Mingxia's anger and frustration was increasing but her flames were decreasing in ferocity and power.

  Mingxia finally growled loudly in anger, her flames seething anew. As if gasoline was set upon her, flames exploded from her into the nearby area. However, a moment before this, Meilin flashed away, taking up a guard stance not far away.

  "Enough!" said Mingxia. She tossed her sword away, which skidded across the roof to near the edge. "I've done enough of this fooling around. This is about power. It's always been about power. I'll burn you down with my power!"