RPG The Sleepers

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]Sai met with Luyii earlier in the day, she was going over the gift arrangements for her father, Boss Fai. They intended to go to the fight club but Sai never expected the visit he had gotten. An old friend though from different brotherhoods. The whole trip Sai found it hard to keep his eyes off of the radiant daughter of the Tiger General. He knew he had quite a catch, especially when every member of the brotherhood would stare as she walked by, but Sai knew that he could do so much more than stare. There was of course the issue of the immense power he was sure to gain in the ranks of the brotherhood, but he wasn't lying when he said the power wasn't the only basis for his interest in Luyii.

Sai met with his assistant, Kwan moments after entering the fight club. Kwan bowed his head to Willow Fairy in respect and proceeded to hand the War Dragon his paperwork on the tournament brackets as they stand currently. It was only a few minutes after Kwan left the office that Sai was informed of his visitor. Arm in arm the boss of the fight ring went to visit his old friend and meet him with respect.

[b]"Well well, if it isn't Mr. Wu",[/b] said Sai Yuan, the War Dragon. [b]"It's been a long time."[/b]

Sai nodded his head, a legit feeling of joy being extended to Snowcat. Sai might now have seen eye to eye with many members of the Brotherhood of the Jade Forest, but he judged who his friends and foes were chiefly based on their individual selves rather then their affiliations. Not to say that was the case in every single situation, but Sai wouldn't lie about it either.

[b]"What brings you here?"[/b]

Mr. Kwan smiled maliciously. Snowcat felt like he could blush with shame. The intense stare of the Willow Fairy only made it worse still.

[b]"Just running errands for the Boss",[/b] Snowcat replied simply. [b]"I was about to-"[/b]

Out of a sudden they heard gunshots from the outside. [i]Damn it![/i] Snowcat cursed in his mind. He knew all too well what the shots meant. [i]Fucking Woodpecker![/i]

He ran to the backdoor, with Mr. Kwan and the other goon hot on his heels. Outside, he saw what he had feared: Woodpecker and Detective Allen lying on the ground, both holding guns.

Snowcat ran to the rookie gangster and kneeled down.

[b]"Woodpecker! Kang! Answer me!"[/b] Snowcat shouted, shaking the youngster.

[b]"Snowcat.... The bitch... shot me. I shot back",[/b] Woodpecker whispered, with a twisted smile on his face.

Sai told Luyii to stand back by the door as he walked out toward the alleyway. He looked down at Snowcat's fallen affiliate for a second and shook his head. It seems something had been going, though he wasn't sure of the details exactly.

Snowcat surveyed the wounds quickly. [b]"It doesn't look bad",[/b] he lied. [b]"You'll be alright once we get you to the hospital."[/b]

Then he turned his eyes on the detective. She had fallen against a trashcan, so she was half sitting. She had a bullet hole in the middle of the forehead. A single trail of blood streamed across her face.

Blood. There was the image again. Mother...

By the time Snowcat had snapped out of it, he looked up at Sai who's hand was on his shoulder, apparently speaking his name for an unknown time out of quite a few.

[b]"Ten! Hey! You hear me?"[/b] Sai's voice spoke again.

[b]"Yes, forgive me Sai..."[/b] he answered, clearing his throat afterwards.

[b]"Come inside for now, we can speak in a more comfortable atmosphere."[/b] Sai told him, extending his arm toward the door offering Snowcat the comfort of his office.

[b]"What do you think happened?"[/b] Luyii asked as Sai passed by her. He turned back and extended his hand to her, she took it as he pulled her close.

[b]"Not sure honestly, but I don't think it was an accident. These bodies should be cleaned up though."[/b] he answered, following his guest in, his guards closing the door behind him prepared to take care of the bodies.

They sat in his office, Snowcat across from Sai and Luyii. Sai offered a cup of tea over to Snowcat, who took with gratitude.

[b]"Much has changed since year ago, havn't they?"[/b] Snowcat inquired, seemingly alluding to something specific.

[b]"Ha, have you always thought of me as so much of a cruel person?"[/b] Sai asked in a non-serious tone. Snowcat took a sip and merely smiled back.

[b]"It's how cruel you can be that I do know, but there is indeed more to the War Dragon then that."[/b]

All three of them laughed, as the conversation topic quickly changed to the drug issue brought up to Kwan upon Snowcat's arrival.

[b]"You're talking about the brown dust, right? As Kwan probably told you, we've been aware for a while...it doesn't do much since I've seen people on it lose their share of fights. Certainly hasn't helped anyone's chances against me."[/b] Sai spoke, spawning a grin on his face from his latter words.

[b]"Dust? I'm afraid we're speaking of two different things my friend. The one I'm speaking of is a new kind of injection, at least in it's most common form. It's a much more potent enhancer then the ones we are used to hearing about. The Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity is most definitly to blame for it's circulation."[/b] Snowcat explained, putting an unsure look on Sai's face.

[b]"I'm afraid I've yet to encounter it, at least to my knowledge. If it's that potent however, it would cause quite a problem."[/b] Sai admitted.

[b]"I have not heard of any cases myself, but the name you called it rings a bell."[/b] Luyii spoke, chiming in on the conversation.

[b]"Yes, Dragon's Tongue. The full effects are not yet known, but it would more than likely turn your average fighter into something a little more obscene."[/b] Snowcat exclaimed, taking another sip of his tea.

[b]"This ring is very strictly under my watch, the first run in I have with this drug I will handle with the utmost care. There are more immediete matters however, such as the meeting that is yet to come."[/b] Sai said, confident in his abilities.
[/FONT]

[center]* * * * *[/center]

OOC: Don't believe they are supposed to, but rather than make you edit it I just threw in the part where Sai misunderstood which drug Snowcat was talking about.

[DeadSeraphim]

[FONT=Arial][COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1]"Are you smoking in my car?" I looked over at Yugo, then at the smoking cigarette in my hand. Taking a drag, I considered my answer and blew out slowly.

"No." He scowled and grabbed at my hand, sending the car swerving over the road as he tried to grab my burning prize. I only laughed at him. "Jeez, if you wanted it so bad, you could've just asked!" I exclaimed, handing him the cigarette cherry first and laughing even harder as he shrieked in pain and through the butt out the window.

"Fuck you," he said angrily.

"Sorry, I'm straight." He shot me a glance then jack-knifed suddenly, slamming me face first into the polished wood of his dashboard. I heard a crunch.

"So, what, smoking in your car is so much worse than bloodstains?" He laughed, a smug grin on his face.

"It's certainly easier to wash out, Dead my man," he said as we pulled up to the car yard. "Much easier than that awful smoke smell." I scowled.

"Fuck you."

"Sorry, I'm straight." I punched him hard then got out of the car, this one being one of his babies - a 1970 Holden Monaro, a muscle car imported from Australia. It, as usual, was black, but this was a slightly different shade of black, having an almost rich purple tone deep beneath the ebony. Or so he told me. Honestly, black is black to me.

"What are we buying?" Yugo made a wide sweeping gesture at the car yard, then took a wad of bills out of his of jacket.

"The sky's the limit, friend."

[center]~~~[/center]

I won't bore you with the details of our window shopping, but I will tell you that after an hour he'd chosen what was possibly the most dilapited piece of shit I'd ever seen. It was 90% rust, 5% iron, and 5% unidentifiable elements. I suggested dead rodents, but that didn't get us a cheaper price. Sadly.

"So what did you say your names were again, boys?" the salesman asked. He was a short, chubby man with a prominent bald patch and an awful suit. I looked at him over my sunglasses.

"We didn't." I rarely extend curtosies to salesmen. I find them... [i]dodgy[/i]. Regardless he was insistent.

"I'll have to know your names before I sell you the car."

"No, you have to know [i]his[/i] name. I'm just an observer." He was becoming irritated.

"This is of importance to the business deal, sir," he said carefully. I scowled and reached for my baton, and was about to smash the man's face in when Yugo put an arm across me.

"Don't cause trouble," he mouthed silently. I spat in frustration and put the baton away, but not before turning away from the short little fuck. God I hate salesmen.

"My name is Blue Wolf and he's Dead, is that sufficient for the sale?" I could almost hear the guy's face light up.

"Of the Sleepers? Why, it's a rare day we deal with the Sleepers! Of course it's sufficient, Mr Wolf." Yugo laughed softly.

"Yes, I suppose it is. How much for this?" I heard a gun cock softly and raised an eyebrow.

"Only your life, Mr Wolf. You've stumbled onto property owned and... invested in by the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity. We will settle for nothing less than your heart, torn from your chest. As a sign of goodwill between our organisations, you might say." I spun, my baton out already, and was greeted to the sight of Yugo with a gun to his head. I made to beat the man, but Yugo motioned for me to keep out of it.

"I'm afraid I can't accomodate such an exchange," he was saying quietly, his voice dangerous. "And if you don't move your gun this instant, you'll find yourself in a world of pain." The man laughed heartily.

"Your friend may be infamous, but not even he could kill me before I killed you, Wolf." Yugo's eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't referring to Dead." With lightning speed he had the gun out of the salesman's hand and in his own, then pressed the gun to the man's spine. "You'll take exactly $40 for this car, and I will restore it to a multi million dollar beast. And I will drive it by you every day, reminding you of the day you were fleeced for hundreds of thousands of dollars." He gritted his teeth and pushed the gun harder into the salesman's back. "Finally, you will always, [i]always[/i] remember the man who paralyzed you. I will haunt your nightmares. I am the Blue Wolf."

The muffled bang was ferocious and yet restrained, like most things Yugo did, and the salesman fell with a wet thud. He wouldn't die - Yugo's victim's never did - but he was most certainly paralyzed. Yugo didn't renege on his promises to his victims after all - he didn't become one of Fai's most trusted attendants by being a soft cock.

[center]~~~[/center]

Later, as we drove away from the car yard, the classic car hitched to Yugo's trailer, I looked over at him and grinned.

"Haunt their nightmares, huh?" He shrugged.

"I assume so. I mean, when you leave them alive without brain damage, they tend to think about you a lot." He shot me a glance. "Not that you'd know anything about that." I leaned back and slowly lit up.

"No, I guess I wouldn't," I laughed as I breathed the smoke into his precious upholstery.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Shy]

[indent][size=1][color=darkgreen]Several hours had passed before Ghost Fox regained consciousness . It was morning, and she was now lying under the sheets in a simple wooden bed. Wherever she was had a small, but efficient medical staff, and it didn?t take the nurses more than a few moments to figure out that their patient was finally awake. The bed took up most of the space of the room. Various boxes laid against the walls, filling up the rest of the space. It seemed that the legendary Ghost Fox had to share a room with some kind of storage closet.

She clutched against her chest tightly: still sore. As Ghost Fox traced her fingers up and down the center of her chest, she felt the hints of a small surgical scar. How long had she been unconscious, and what the hell was going on?

An older, dark-skinned man in a lab coat entered the room. He held a clipboard to his side as he examined Ghost Fox from afar, writing notes on a sheet of paper but remaining completely silent. ?Mr. Hall,? read a photo ID badge on the coat.

Mr. Hall approached Ghost Fox, sitting at the edge of her bed. He stared deeply into her eyes, and smiled.

?Do you notice anything wrong with your vision?? The man asked, ?Blindness is often a side effect from the anesthesia. Usually temporary.?

?Anasthesia?? The words burned in Ghost Fox?s throat, terribly dry from the previous day?s exhaustion.

?Of course. We?re not going to put under the knife without it. At least I?m not??

?Who the hell are you??

?Save your strength. I?m your primary care physician.?

?Motor skills seem fine,? the strange man mumbled to himself as he continued writing notes, ?She should be ready for Dr. Xing?s treatment by the afternoon.?

The nurse nervously turned her gaze away from Ghost Fox?s.

?He made it very clear he wants her now, doctor.? The woman sheepishly replied.

?Such is life, I suppose. Go fetch the patient?s things and contact downstairs about transportation.?

The doctor smiled at Ghost Fox for a few seconds, admiring his work, and signaled for the nurse to leave.

?You. Tell me.? Ghost Fox commanded as she pointed, ?Who are you??

It was then Ghost Fox noticed the tubes sticking out of her arm. Colorful liquids dripped from several bags and directly into her veins.

?I?m Doctor Hall,? the doctor leaned in closely to whisper, ?And as far as you should be concerned, I?m God.?

Her memories finally began to connect with the conversation around her: Dr. Xing, the explosion. She wasn?t in the Di Yu complex anymore.

?Where am I??

Dr. Hall laughed as he took out his stethoscope from his coat pocket.

?Let?s just say you landed on the right roof, my dear,? he said as he placed the cold metal end of the device on her chest, ?You?re very lucky there aren?t yet any signs of damage to any of your internal organs.?

There was a moment of silence as he checked her heartbeat. The man removed the stethoscope and placed his hand firmly on Ghost Fox?s lap. He looked down the hallway to see if anyone else was within earshot of what he was about to say.

?I?m going to be very clear about this, because I think I owe you that much as a doctor. The woman we found in the wreckage: she?s dead. Whoever you are, how you survived and what exactly happened? it?s in your best interest to forget all about it.?

Ghost Fox found that the stranger began to tremble slightly as he spoke.

?Understand that the woman you were is dead. For your sake she has to be. What is about to happen to you, a forced coma? the drugs they use? a common side effect is amnesia and memory loss. This is all you need to remember. When you wake up, [I]if[/I] you wake up, do your best to--?

"Doctor." An unseen feminine voice said as it entered the room, a nurse, "How are her vitals?"

She began to unhook Ghost Fox from the equipment carefully.

?Steady enough? steady enough.?

"Excellent," the nurse smiled and handed him a sheet of paper, "Your payment will be transferred to your account, as promised."

The woman unlocked the bed, and began rolling it out of the doorway. Ghost Fox?s eyes locked with the doctor as he left, and she struggled to find some sort of response to what he had told her.

?Thank you,? she said softly.

Dr. Hall turned his gaze away, and sighed as his 'Jane Doe' rolled out of his care. The woman he had only just met still had a role to play; thanks to his expertise she would live to fight another day. He only wondered what a beautiful woman like that had done to gain the attention of The Sleepers.[/size][/color][/indent]

[size=1][b]Edit:[/b] Changed 'Xin' to 'Xing.' Whoops.[/size]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Dr. Xing slid on his lab coat and buttoned it up the front. He looked at his monitor through the thick, smokey haze. The lights were off and only the soft, blue glow of the desktop attempted to pierce the darkness. There was a call coming in from the nurses station. He tapped the enter key and the face of a nurse popped on screen.

"Doctor, the transfer has arrived." The nurse said.

"What is her status?" He asked and took a deep breath. The incense swirled down into his lungs and left him feeling very calm.

"The neurotoxins in her system have been slowed but paralysis will begin to affect her within an hour according to the computers." She said.

The computer systems at Sun Heights had been given a weak, pseudo A.I. as a thank you from a Yakuza boss. His daughter had a nasty STD that flared up while she was vacationing in San Francisco. The treatment and discretion that followed were worthy of a reward according to the Yakuza boss. It was too bad Dr. Xing thought the A.I was unnecessary and never used it.

"We need to prepare her and administer the drug cocktail hastily to avoid any complications. The drugs for inducing the coma are on hand and the cocktail will be made with your go ahead." She said.

"Indeed." He said and pushed his rose tinted glasses up. "Prepare to induce a coma. Use our highest quality drugs in the cocktail."

The nurse's brow furrowed. "The highest quality, doctor?"

"Yes. No exceptions. This case will be treated with the upmost of care by all staff. Make sure everyone underneath you has an understanding of that." Through the smokey haze Dr. Xing appeared almost demonic with his tall, leaning stance and pale, gaunt face. "No mistakes."

"Yes sir, doctor." The nurse said.

"Put her within one of the king suites when she stabilizes." The three king suites were large, private rooms. Patients in those rooms were either very rich or brothers within Repose. "No corners cut. This is a special circumstance far removed from worries about income."

The nurse nodded. "Is that all, doctor?"

"No. There is one more thing." He eyed the nurse. "This matter is to be kept internal within the clinic for now. No tolerance will be had for any leaks."

"Understand. I'll keep things in line." She nodded to the doctor. "Quality and discretion is our speciality."

"Very good. You're well on your way to a fine bonus, aren't you?" He flipped the lights on and smiled warmly. "That will be all. I will be down in a moment. I expect her to be nearly out of it when I get there."

"No need to worry." The nurse responded and the vidlink closed.

Dr. Xing left his office and descended down in the elevator. The soft, melodic classical music that played added on to his tranquility. By the time he exited the elevator he had a most serene look on his face. He walked in to the ICU and to the side of Ghost Fox. A male nurse bowed to him and gestured to the I.V. drip next to her bed.

"I see." Dr. Xing said and looked down to Ghost Fox. She was barely conscious. The serenity left his face. He gave a glance to the male nurse and he nodded and left. Dr. Xing turned back, took in a deep breath and frowned. Her eyes flicked up to him and he gave a weak smile.

"It's alright. You're back in good hands."

Her eyes flickered shut and Dr. Xing reached over to the second bag full of the cocktail. He twisted the valve and the medication began to drip as well. He glanced up at the vital life signs monitor and stood there for a few seconds.

"I'm confident," he said and looked at her body, "that you will make it. You don't give up." He patted her on the head. "Now is not the time to start." Two nurses returned to the bedside, one with a mocom. Dr. Xing muttered something in a foreign language and walked away.

The nurse with the mocom turned to the other, "Hey do you know what he said? You're Chinese, right?"

The Chinese nurse rolled his eyes. "That was Cantonese, not Chinese. I don't speak any form of Cantonese."

"How different can it be? Man, you must have understood part of it."

"Not really. Only thing I picked up was him saying her name." The Chinese nurse gestured to Ghost Fox, "Come on we need to get back to work. She's become a priority patient. No slacking."

"Yeah, alright." The mocom-nurse said and started to work. "Shit." He shook his head. "I'm really curious."

The Chinese nurse sighed.[/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=darkorchid][font=times][i]The business concluded, Snowcat left the War Dragon's Fight Club, to courteous bows from Luyii and Sai and the staff. Once he had departed, the staff returned to their duties, and Luyii and Sai concluded the remaining business and paperwork leftover. While Sai rifled through the papers, signing here and there and checking various tabs, Luyii chatted with one of the serving women, mostly exchanging the latest gossip. Apparently there was a new kid on the block that was scheduled for initiation in a few days, after the meeting probably. Word was that he was a ruthless killer, and the girls were all in a lather over how good he looked. Luyii giggled behind an upraised hand, and Sai raised an eyebrow in her direction. Somehow, the sight of one of the most powerful women in the city giggling with a common servant was strange.

Finally, Sai was finished, somewhere around 9:30 p.m. and sidled up to Luyii and whispered into her ear, hands slipping around her waist.[/i]

"Let's go back to my place."

"Don't we have the meeting tomorrow at twelve? I have to get dressed, Lai has to do my hair and makeup..."

"We won't stay up late, promise."

[i]The Willow Fairy giggled slightly, and let him take her back to his flat, which could only be described as lush. A wet bar, a king sized bed, gorgeous Chinese paintings, delicately carved woodwork over the fireplace? And Sai never thought it looked better with Luyii's clothes on his floor. Naked, save a simple jade pendant around her neck, she walked over to the bar and poured them both glasses of whiskey, her fingers smooth and soft against the crystal. The two drank and set down the empty glasses almost at the same time. Sai laughed to himself; this girl could keep up with him, regardless of her size. He said as much only to find himself staring at her chest, which had somehow relocated directly in front of him.

It was nearly astounding, how quickly he found her ripping off his own clothes while simultaneously pushing him onto the bed. As a matter of interest, the only way Sai, face mashed against her breasts, actually managed to come up for air was to bite down hard on Luyii's left nipple. With a yelp, she released him only to be flipped onto her stomach, ass in the air.

One sleeper hold later, Luyii arched up into his body to relieve the pressure on her neck and partially to feel him inside her more effectively. He release and put his hands on her wide hips, the better to grind against her. She reached back with both arms, putting them around the back of his neck, leaning her own back until it rested on his shoulder.

An hour later, the two lay exhausted in each other's arms, sheets tossed over them loosely, a low fire glowing on the hearth. Covered in a light sheen of sweat, Luyii propped herself up on one elbow to look into Sai's eyes. Her lips parted slowly, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face as she spoke.[/i]

"Do you love me?"

"Probably."

[i]He placed a hand on her cheek and drew her to his chest for another kiss. The next morning, Lai and the bodyguards were ready to pick up Luyii to prepare for the meeting. Sai showered and got out his freshly pressed suit, checking to make sure there were no wrinkles. In her own room, Luyii slithered into the silver dress from her father, Lai fixing her hair in a high French knot.[/i]

"Are you ready for this Luyii?"

"Oh I think so. You have the gifts laid out, I just have to go meet the White Prince and hope he isn't recruiting."

[i]The two smiled at one another in a slightly weary way and went to their duties. Lai headed upstairs to inform the Boss that his daughter was safely here and ready to receive Mr. Lu. Luyii headed downstairs to the lounge to meet the tall, handsome man that owned more prostitutes than any other gang in history. The Willow Fairy, a vision of grace and loveliness, nearly floated into the room, the White Prince rising to greet her. His bodyguards stood back and regarded Luyii's own guards. She glided over to the bar counter and smiled at him delicately.[/i]

"Would you care for a drink Mr. Lu?"

"Just a brandy."

[i]She poured it for him, the frosted bottle setting off the warm colors of her skin. The glass clinked against the ring on her fingers as she held it out to the man, his fingers voluntarily touching her own as he looked down. A simple gold band glimmered on her left ring finger and he looked up again, pretending it wasn't there. [/i][/font][/COLOR]

[DeadSeraphim]

[font=arial][size=1][color=indigo][center]Act One: Setting The Stage
Scene Three: Asleep in the Jade Forest[/center]

"Dude, you look like shit." I turned to face the source of the voice and was face to face with a younger, less experienced enforcer, named Angel. Rumour has it he was trying to become like me, a Dead version 2.0, if you will, rumours I had not dismissed. Looking him up and down, I quickly took note of the baton and dark glasses and I was pretty sure the rumours were true. Motherfucker doesn't use a baton unless he's mad or wants to go mad, and, clearly, I was the best and most handsome reason to go mad.

"Yeah, it happens," I said finally as I strode through the halls to the boardroom serving as the meeting area. "Something about drinking two bottles of tequila and half a carton of beer, you know?" The kid's face blanched visibly and I smiled smugly. I might be able to shake him from my niche yet. He gulped.

"I... I don't drink," he managed. I shrugged.

"Do you smoke?" He shook his head.

"No, it kills you man," he told me in that annoying authoritarian tone most people took about smoking these days. I sighed and stopped suddenly, having reached the boardroom and eager to shake Angel as soon as possible, if not sooner.

"This is my stop kid," I told him, reaching into my jacket for a flask. "This is triple distilled rum. Drink up if you want everyone to think you're a really hard bastard." I winked and threw open the doors as he stared in fear at the flask in his hand. I laughed. "Have fun."

The boardroom was empty save for Fai and Yugo for the time being, but it's obvious the place had been recently decorated. The Sleepers insignia adorned the walls from ceiling to floor, and traditional bamboo screens covered the side entrances, to quietly conceal the comings and going of cleaning droids. As I was doing minor body guard duty today with Yugo, an ashtray had been thoughtfully provided for me at a raised table to the boss' left, as well, a nice touch I never failed to notice. Fai was too good to me.

"Honey, I'm home," I said, getting Yugo and Fais' attention. Yugo looked up and grinned, motioning to the boss' other side. Fai merely nodded, recognising my presence but not tearing himself from the task at hand. I walked around the table and took my place, leaning over to Yugo and whispering,

"When's it start?" Yugo shook his head in the direction of the doors I'd come through and I turned to see people starting to stream in, in order of rank. Luyii was first, of course, carrying a steaming centuries old tea set and swinging her hips in a skin tight dress that left nothing to the imagination, and I almost didn't notice anything else until Yugo digged me in the ribs to bring me back to earth. Fai was looking at me curiously, but said nothing, as if expecting his daughter to receive my attention. Probably a damn good thing.

Reaching into my jacket, I quickly lit up and examined the company more thoroughly, trying to mask my indescretions with nonchalonce. Sai, the fight promotor was there, sitting beside Luyii, as was Dr Xing, the staff doctor who I held a lot of respect for. It's not often a quack can rustle you up a new set of lungs and kidneys in 24 hours, but Xing did it for me. Come to think of it, I still owed him about 30 grand for that little operation. Here's hoping he forgot.

As the table reached halfway, and the rank of the members became lower, the White Prince's entourage started, raising in rank as they came closer to their own boss. I recognized a few faces, Snowcat the pimp for one. Gayest pimp I'd ever met, I swear, but his girls weren't bad. Chi Zu was there as well, and to his side the White Prince had his own bodyguard, the Dragonfly. I'd heard of him, but never crossed paths. Here's hoping today wasn't the day.

As everyone became seated and a pair of bodyguards quietly closed and locked the board room doors, Fai stood up and cleared his throat. Any chit chat that had been going on was instantly quieted as his eyes swept over the mixed company, drinking in each person's face. Finally, he smiled.

"Welcome, my brothers, and my colleagues," he said finally, smiling as Luyii quietly and efficiently poured tea for the guests and company alike, a polite smile on her face. "May today's proceedings be blessed."[/color][/size][/font]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]"Well said." The White Prince said and gestured around the table, "Thank you all for inviting the Brotherhood of the Jade Forest here."

"The important matters we have to attend to today will be expressed with the upmost cordiality and respect for the Jade Forest." Fai said in a reassuring tone.

This diplomacy between the two seemed very procedural. Dr. Xing sipped his cup of tea quietly and observed the two leaders exchange preliminary greetings and expressions of goodwill. He had sat at meetings in the past but today the atmosphere seemed genuinely cordial. A lingering doubt rested in his mind and he rubbed his moustache as he thought.

"Now, let our meeting begin." Fai finally said and gestured around the room. "I am sure that there are those among the Brotherhoods' members who are aware of the first matter I would like to discuss. It concerns a street drug that is gaining increasing popularity." Fai clicked a small remote and an image was projected up from the center of the table and hovered in mid air. "These are pictures of the drug that we have confiscated. The two most popular forms of taking the drug are intravenously and in a pill form." The images showed a half dozen purple pills and a fine purple powder.

"To discuss the drug in more detail I ask of you to listen to our Dr. Xing. Dr. Xing?" Fai nodded to him.

Dr. Xing set down his cup of tea and stood. "Good evening, I am the proprietor and head Doctor of the Sun Heights Clinic. Some of you I have treated within my clinic and others I have had business dealings with." His eyes traced around the room and landed on Dead who he gave a grin to. 'Where is the money' the grin asked. Dead's mouth crept up in return. 'Shit if I know' it replied.

Dr. Xing adjusted his rose tinted glasses and gestured to Fai. "I have been asked by Mr. Chou to talk to you all today about this street drug. Dragon's Tongue is the colloquial, street term for it."

Flickers of recognition appeared in the eye of several people around the room. Dr. Xing smiled. "Yes, some of you are aware it seems. DT is a very potent psychotropic drug. It's chemical make-up indicates it is a man-made drug. At this time, however, it cannot be traced to a specific creator. In the past when these hybrid and super drugs hit the street there was an inclination to participate in their spread. The difference between those drugs and this one is the unavoidable damage it does with just one dose."

The image changed to a list of statistics regarding the mortality rate. It described the disabilities seen so far in the survivors.

"This is 100 percent of all of the cases we have encountered so far. Not one of them has escaped even nearly unscathed. Seventy percent of them have died. Thirty have survived with severe disabilities. Psychologically destroyed, mentally destroyed, physically handicapped and sometimes they simply stay in a vegetative state."

"This is damage to potential customers for both organizations." Fai interrupted. Dr. Xing eyed him but deferred to his authority. "Damage to our credibility as people whisper in the street that it could be us spreading this drug. Dr. Xing, continue."

Dr. Xing bowed and the image on the table turned into a video. "This is security footage from the fighting ring. Notice how out of control the man is, how fast his reflexes are, how inhuman his strength is. This is an induced rage. This rage is the first alarm to the person being under the influence of DT." The image changed to the man in a hospital bed. "After six hours these affects quickly wear off and the damage rampages throughout the brain. Holes simply are being burnt into the white matter of the brain at a rapid pace." A scan of a brain with several prominent gaps in it appeared.

"A patient who survives this will be left ruined from it although most feel the merciful touch of death. Now, if you encounter someone in the rage-stage the best you can do is incapacitate them or, if condoned by your bosses, kill them. Mr. Chou." Dr. Xing bowed to him and sat down.

"Do any of our attendees have questions?"

The White Prince looked at Fai, "I knew about this drug but did not know it was so powerful. What are your estimates about how much it is used on the street?"

"It is a minority to older drugs for now but it is becoming increasingly popular for people who fight. Within our ring it is becoming an increasing blight and I can imagine the damage hundreds of thugs in a rage could do." Fai said and looked to Dr. Xing, "Do you have anything to add?"

He stood, "Yes Mr. Chou. The drug itself was difficult to invent.. but not to replicate. The potential wide-spread use of this drug is very real and probable without intervention."

Dr. Xing sat once more and the White Prince tilted his head to the side. "So who is distributing this within our territories?"

Fai looked more serious than usual suddenly. Dr. Xing smiled and took a sip of his tea.

"None other than the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity." Fai said.

The room fell quiet.[/color]

[TheResplendent]

[FONT=Tahoma]The room broke into spikes of chatter, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. Not that the news came as a shock, but when the idea of The Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity going as far as pushing their prize drug within the very territory of the Jade Forest and Eternal Repose sunk it, it inspired all kinda of thoughts ranging from the stupidity of the concept to the willingness to crush the operation then and there.

[b]"Please, everyone remain silent. Our next order of business concerns the possibility of large scale hostilities with Infinite Longevity. I grant the floor to our own War Dragon to discuss preparations and what to expect."[/b] Boss Fai spoke, raising his hand to Sai. Sai nodded and rose to his feet. Luyii gave him a fleeting yet proud glance as she continued serving the guests. Sai walked to the middle of the floor and remoed his sunglasses, placing them in his suit jacket pocket.

[b]"Today's meeting is indeed favorable considering events that are all but impending. Having only familiarized myself with this Dragon's Tongue recently myself, I have consulted the good doctor on it as well as some associates of mine."[/b] Sai explained, as he turned his head and nodded in the direction of Doctor Xing.

[b]"The most obvious concern of the effects of this drug by itself is how tremendously it will enhance the physical capabilities of Infinite Longevity's people, as well as those they cater to. If an all out war were to start because their decision to step up their invasion of our territory from drug trafficking to physical hostilities, then despite the ramification of the drug we must be prepared to know how to deal with such a threat."[/b] Sai continued, the attention of the room on him. The White Prince watched on as well, though his eyes wandered around the room following the direction of the Willow Fairy.

[b]"If what Doctor Xing says about the effects of the drug is true..."[/b] Hui Dong the Dragonfly of the Jade Forest stood and spoke. [b]"How can we expect to physically combat people using Dragon's Tongue unless we mean to match their strength"[/b]

[b]"If your implication is that we too use the drug, it would be at your own risk. You forget that even if you survive the drug's effect on you'd might as well beg for death."[/b] Sai answered firmly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, not taking Dong's question seriously.

[b]"Well, we do outnumber them. We have the advantage in weapons and we are in no financial trouble. It seems rather possible to me."[/b] The White Prince chimed in. Luyii made her round again, standing right beside the White Prince himself.

[b]"The concept indeed seems simple, it will be the actual actions that will prove harder."[/b] Sai assured him. The White Prince grinned as if not convinced, and glanced over at Luyii next to him once again.

[b]"Harder maybe, but would the War Dragon be so skeptical when it comes to issues concerning war itself? Or has his attention been elsewhere lately, perhaps too much of a good thing can dwindle the other parts of the mind. I could take it off your hands and keep it busy if you'd like."[/b] The White Prince spoke, blatantly turning his head to Luyii who's hand tensed up as she unfortunatley understood the reference. She controlled herself as best she could, she knew how important it was to keep the peace. Sai on the other hand, made his way closer with an offended look clearly on his face.

[b]"I am more versed than anyone you could present from your whore house, whom you surround yourself in so proudly. Rather then letting the blind lead the blind I choose the path to ample facilitation, perhaps you should consider that when making your remarks."[/b] Sai exclaimed, glaring downward at the White Prince in his seated position, Luyii making her way passed Sai, a satisfied smile in her head but the proper facade on her face.

[b]"Sai, such defense is not required. Our guest is simply voicing his concerns, as we all have them."[/b] Fai stood and said. Sai clenched his fist, but turned to Fai and bowed his head in respect and embarrasment.

[b]"My apologies, I suppose it is because of how confident I am in our capabilities. I assure the White Prince as well as the rest of the Jade Forest that The Brotherhood of Eternal Repose is more then ready to take the neccesary steps to defending our collective territory. The first step is to indentify the regulars on this drug, and once found it will open up a myriad of pathways to who the dealers themselves are, and in addition to our defense we can launch offensives in order to surpress the dealing before it gets too out of hand."[/b] Sai explained, calming himself only because of his favorable position in the eys of Fai Chou.

[b]"How do you intend on finding these clients, Mr. Yuan?"[/b] Snowcat asked, using politeness despite having called him by his first name in the past.

[b]"The fight ring of course. The tournament I have been preparing for is days away, surely with the uproar of this drug it is sure to make it's way to a number of the contestants. I have my prize fighters, including myself...I don't care how effective this drug is on the physical nature of it's takers, It will be an easy task for me to find out the information I need."[/b] Sai explained, confident in his abilities.

[b]"I too am confident, but we will not make the mistake of taking this issue lightly. War Dragon has a number of preparations that will ensure the procuring of the amount of intel we will need."[/b] Boss Fai spoke, having discussed the matter with Sai prior to the meeting.

The White Prince nodded in satisfaction to Fai, while Sai bowed in respect to both of the leaders. His eyes moved to it's corners over to Luyii who returned Sai's subtle glance. He repostured himself and turned to Fai.

[b]"If I may excuse myself now, I shall return shortly for the remainder of the proceedings. There is something that requires tending to for the moment."[/b] Sai explained, Fai nodding his head allowing him to do so. Sai walked passed Dead who nodded to him as he left through the door. Luyii looked to her father who as if on cue waved his hand, allowing Luyii to go after Sai. [/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][center]Act One: Set The Stage
Scene: Aside
~~~~~~~~~[/center]

[i]Luyii slipped through the side door and shut it slowly behind her, looking up to see Sai furiously pacing down the hallway. She walked down the hall after him, not moving quickly. One of the side rooms held Lai and several other servants watching the meeting on closed satellite transmission, intent on the huge screen. She shook her head and followed after Sai, catching his arm as he spun around in mid pace. He nearly swung at her before he realized it was in fact Luyii and not one of the White Prince's lackeys. He lowered his had apologetically and she smiled forgivingly.

He removed his glasses and held them loosely in one hand, giving her a gentle look.[/i]

"I'm sorry about that."

"What are you sorry for?"

[i]She placed her hand on his cheek, her brows knitted together in some confusion. Sai sighed to himself once and looked away. His mouth worked silently, and the hand holding his sunglasses became a fist, which accidentally crushed them. He dropped the pieces and looked up again, sheepish.[/i]

"For nearly ruining the meeting. I just couldn't stand what he said-"

"Don't be sorry. One of the six basic things women love the most is when their men stand up for them in front of everyone."

"Do I even want to know the other five?"

"Good sex, chocolate, shopping, romantic candlelight dinners, and bubble baths."

[i]She rattled them off like a laundry list, hardly skipping a beat. The War Dragon finally managed a half smile. Luyii showed perfectly white teeth in her own returning smile, and slipped her hand from her face to his suit lapels. She raised her left hand to hold the other and drew him closer to her body, putting her lips close to his ear.[/i]

"We'll see if we can't skip from the bath straight to the sex later on tonight."

[i]Her smile seemed to light up the room, and Sai felt his anger slowly departing. It vanished almost completely when she jerked him against her, pressing her lips against his, arms thrown around his neck. His hands found their way to her silk covered hips and the two staggered back into the far wall, tongues dueling for dominance. With a gasp, he managed to pull away, with Luyii persistently dragging her teeth against his lower lip.[/i]

"Not right now, they'll be missing us in the meeting."

[i]She smirked at him once and wiped a smear of her lipstick from his cheek. Then she untangled herself from his arms and walked back down the hall, with him close behind. As they passed the room where Lai and the others were still watching the movie, Lai caught Luyii's eye and the two exchanged one of those wordless, three second conversations.

"Player, using him like that."

"Oh get bent you bitch, you'd have done it too."

"Guilty."[/i][/font][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[color=RoyalBlue]Snowcat watched as Sai walked out of the meeting room, followed soon by Luyii. It seemed that their relationship was at least somewhat accepted by Boss Fai. It would mean that none other than the War Dragon would follow the Tiger General as the head of the Eternal Repose, when the time came.

Unless someone would challenge the boss, like Mr. Wang had been challenged by Shek Lu.

Snowcat's thoughts were interrupted when the White Prince turned the attention to him.

[B]"I assigned Snowcat to investigate the matter of Dragon's Tongue. He will tell what he has gathered now."[/B] The White Prince nodded at him, flashing a malevolent grin. Shek Lu was well aware that the investigation hadn't gone as expected.

Snowcat stood up, and straightened the long whitescarf around his neck. His outfit really stood up from the black suits of the other attenders. His jacket and pants were pure white, and his shirt was dark blue. Silver glimmered in his earrings, necklace, belt buckle and rings. He was dressed like a true pimp.

[B]"Boss Lu, Boss Fai, gentlemen, ladies"[/B], Snowcat nodded. Then he told the basic flow of events from the meeting with the Scarlet Mistress to the trails leading to the War Dragon's Fight Club. He left out the deaths of Woodpecker and Detective Allen on purpose.

When he got to the part where he told about his conversation with Mr. Kwan, Sai and Luyii re-entered the room.

[B]"It seemed that Mr. Kwan was aware of the participation of Infinite Longevity in the dealing of the drug, but the War Dragon himself was uninformed about this. As it looks like, the Fight Club is the main place of pushing Dragon's Tongue. My girls who hook up clients around that place are in peril, and I have to say this as a member of the Jade Court, unless something is done about it, I will have to take my business elsewhere."[/B] Snowcat looked at Sai, avoiding the murderous stare of the White Prince. He knew he had been insolent and had stepped on White Prince's toes, but that bastard deserved it.

[B]"I assure you, Mr. Wu, that won't be necessary"[/B], Sai replied. [B]"Together our Brotherhoods can oppose Boss Kai Fen and the Infinite Longevity. What say you, Boss Fai?"[/B]

The Tiger General remained silent. This issue seemed to trouble him a lot.[/color]

[Flash]

Smoke swirled and danced upwards from the corners of Detective Chang's mouth as he finished his seventh cigarette of the meeting. He tossed the smoldering butt in the near-overflowing ashtray at his side and stepped forward, to an empty spot at the large meeting table. He placed his gnarled hands flat on the table and spoke.

"The way I see it? Anyone who wants to use this stuff is dead anyway. I say give them more of this Dragon's Tongue and let them all kill each other." The Detective's comment was met with unanimous silence.

He frowned; he thought it was a good idea. Chang scratched the back of his head and started again. "Alright. I admit these fuckers are making shit very complicated for myself and the SFPD,"

A well-dressed member of the Jade Forest stood and addressed Chang angrily. "I do not care for you or the police force, Detective Chang. Your complications are of no concern to--" Chang reached inside of his jacket, to his waist. Guards at the doors of the room had their weapons drawn and aimed at Chang in an instant. A deathly silence fell across the room.

The Detective chuckled and pulled out a box of cigarettes, lighting one up and taking a long drag. He stared at the man who had challenged him with a smirk on his face as he exhaled a hazy cloud of smoke. The Jade Forest mobster bowed to Boss Lu and Boss Fai in apology, and sat down. Eric Chang continued.

"As I was saying, they're making my life very difficult. They need to be taken down, now." He slammed his fist down on the tabletop to emphasise his words. "This.. [i]Dragon's Tongue[/i] shit is getting my men hurt out there. Not to mention it's making my job considerably harder. Drug related crimes are rising, and the public isn't happy. The Chief of Police wants a total crackdown on the drug trade." A few uneasy mobsters shifted in their seats. "That's gonna make my job a lot harder--and it's gonna make your cash flow a lot smaller," said Chang, visibly annoyed at the prospect of having to do some real police work. "If you want to oppose the Brotherhood, you'll have the full support of myself and as much of the San Francisco Police Department as I can get."

Luyii stood and spoke calmly to the Detective. "Do you think that is a good choice of action, Ji Qiang? Surely public co-operation between the Police and ourselves would attract federal attention, and then our entire operation could be compromised." Eric Chang, now seated, grinned at the attractive young woman addressing him. "I know a few officers who like to get their hands dirty. They'll work plainclothes, so that's not an issue. Believe me, Miss Chou, we want to end this as quickly as possible."

"I've seen how available this drug is, and more people are getting it by the day." said Snowcat, standing as he spoke. "We need to act now." Eyes dart across the table, heads nodding and murmurs of agreement chorusing from the group. They whispered words of death and war.

Ji Qiang puffed his cigarette and checked his watch, his silent exterior telling nothing of his racing mind. He was both for and against a war--it would benefit him greatly, but the pressure on him from his own superiors would most certainly be a great deal to cope with. Normally Chang would turn his back on such a burden, but frustrated and stressed, he hungered for relief in the form of violent retribution.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Dr. Xing had been staring off up towards the ceiling for a few minutes with a look of contemplation. He looked to Fai. The Tiger General hung in thought. Even when thinking he looked poised and ready for anything, like a predator calmly observing his prey. Dr. Xing's eyes met with Fai's and Fai's eyebrow twitched slightly. He searched Dr. Xing's face before nodding to him.

"You have something to say, Doctor." Fai rubbed his chin. "Is it a matter of importance?"

"I do not mean to interrupt your deliberations, sir. On the matter of the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity, however.. I have a matter that is relevant to our considerations." Dr. Xing stood and rubbed his chin.

"The Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity's membership is.. varied. Privately, I was aware of a jewel amongst their ranks. A person with immense talent and someone whom I.." He stopped and narrowed his eyes. "I had great confidence in my ability to bring her into our organization."

"Ah." Fai said and nodded. "Who is this person?"

"An assassin. She is known as Ghost Fox within their ranks. As a testament to her abilities the situation Di Yu was her accomplishment."

"Skillful." Fai said. "Very skillful, your interest is understandable. I'm unsure of where your confidence comes from though." Fai's gaze was piercing. A lie now would be deadly to both career and self.

Dr. Xing was silent. Some expected him to answer eventually but his silence was unyielding. He did not speak. Luyii and Sai exchanged glances.

"Hmm." Fai said. His piercing gaze had found something. "What are you hiding? Do you need my authorization for something? Some risk involved in getting her?"

"No, sir." He glanced away for a moment. "I already have her. She is safely within the Sun Heights compound and recovering from the Di Yu incident as we are speaking."

The delegation from the Brotherhood of the Jade Forest seemed more surprised than Fai. Even several members of the Sleepers seemed a bit taken aback by this. The Tiger General, far from shock, seemed rather uninterested. "Oh?"

"Indeed." Dr. Xing said and studied Fai's neutral reaction.

"Under.. what authority?" Fai's eyebrow arched.

"My own." Dr. Xing raised his head a bit and a glare fell over his glasses. "The sensitivity of time required hasty action. From Di Yu to her hospitalization was a mere matter of an hour and a half."

"Ah. Your own." He folded his hand together. "This changes things. We have a new, skillful member at our disposal from the very organization that," Fai looked to the White Prince, "I believe needs to be destroyed. The inside information we can gain, aside from her abilities, will be very useful as well. You've done some fine work Dr. Xing."

The two leaders continued to connect on the level of 'The enemy of my enemy'. Dr. Xing sat down. He knew that following the meeting some questions were going to be posed privately.

'It is too bad I do not intend to humor him.' Dr. Xing thought.[/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][i]Eventually, the deliberations ended. Boss Fai was satisfied, as was The White Prince. All present had gone through the snacks, more than a few cigarettes, and several pots of tea. As for the rest of the meeting, Luyii would present the gifts, and then the reception at the downstairs bar would be next. Lai entered the room, to assist Luyii with the presentations, and the daughter stood smoothly, her skirt creating a silver river across the room.

The two glided to the credenza, and opened the drawers, to reveal a large assortment of gifts for everyone present. For Boss Shek Lu? A box of Cuban Cigars, most likely obtained in one of those deals that involved several automatic weapons and more than a few thousand dollars. For his various underlings, cigarettes, alcohol, the usual. The Scarlet Mistress received a set of porcelain hair sticks, and for Snowcat, coral pins, the kind that break apart in the presence of poison. For San Francisco's finest, a pack of imported Tiparillos. He immediately opened them to produce one of the long, slim cigarettes, lighting it and inhaling slowly.[/i]

"Not bad at all."

"I'd hope not, the tariffs were quite irritating."

[i]For his own members, Boss Fai had arranged for Luyii to present Yugo with the keys to a fully restored Dodge Fury and for Dead a sterling silver lighter. Attached to the lighter of course was a small card with the number 1-800-QUIT-NOW printed in red ink. He snorted and shot a look at Luyii, who smiled sweetly and flicked her eyes towards her father.[/i]

"Is my smoking really that much of a problem?"

"Most definitely."

[i]Yugo muttered under his breath, while Boss Fai composed his face in an entirely calm and innocent manner, devoid of guilt or amusement. Lai handed Sai a pair of Tiffany cuff links in a black velvet box, and Dr. Xing was given a gold watch on a chain. Meanwhile, the guests had begun to filter out towards the downstairs, directed by several body guards.

Luyii soon followed, after everyone else had left the room besides Lai and the cleaning ladies. Lai was the only one of course, to hear Luyii's muffled sigh. She placed a hand at the Willow Fairy's elbow.[/i]

"What's really wrong?"

"I dislike diplomacy. It feels so...fake."

"Well it's over for now. You heard them. We'll be rolling in blood soon enough."

"Blood's good."

[i]The two chuckled, and Luyii slipped out of the room to catch up with Sai, who quickly put his arm around her. She smiled back up at him and focused her attention back on the small crowd.[/i][/font][/COLOR]

[DeadSeraphim]

[size=1][color=indigo][font=arial]"Fuck this is dull." Yugo looked over at me and shrugged.

"What did you expect? It's informal drinks, not a rave." I sighed and leaned back into my chair, exhaling a long lungful of smoke. No, it wasn't a rave, it couldn't be. There wasn't enough bootylicious babes.

"Indeed." I stirred my rum slowly and downed it, looking over the company. I wasn't concerned about any of them - I'd dealt with most of them, including the dirty cop - but within the confines of this room, amidst the polite chatter and murky cigarette haze, they all seemed sinister. Maybe it was the lighting. I looked over at Yugo, nursing his gin and tonic like it was a newborn, and raised an eyebrow.

"It's the lighting," he said, reading my thoughts. Good. I leaned back and closed my eyes, subconsciously drowning out the dull drone of conversation.

"Ah, Aolie." My eyes snapped open to see Xing standing before me, checking his new pocket watch. "How are you?" I shrugged.

"Depressingly sober." He laughed.

"Yes, that is depressing." He paused and regarded his watch again. "It seems you have to pay a bill owed." I groaned, knowing where this was going. "It's quite alright if you don't of course, but..." He trailed off.

"But?" A sly smile crept across his face.

"I may need your... unique services tomorrow. Ghost Fox, my patient, needs a bodyguard who will..." he paused. "Protect her." My head slumped on my chest and I let out a defeated sigh. I mean, it wasn't like I didn't have the money - I had at least two million lying around - but I didn't like [i]paying[/i] people money. This seemed like an ideal, if labourous, out.

"I'll be there." Xing's smile widened.

"Very good," he replied simply, before walking off. Yugo shook his head and smiled.

"You could just pay him, you know."

"But I [i]like[/i] my money," I whined. He laughed and turned his attention back to the party, his eyes watching Fai and the White Prince like hawks. Sure, this was a party, but he was still Fai's right hand man. He was rarely off the job unless it involved bailing me out, or using his sparse free time. I did not envy him.

Getting up, I motioned to the bar.

"You want anything?" I asked. Yugo shook his head, but didn't look towards me. Figures. Striding through the room I couldn't help but notice Luyii's fine ass, and then Lai's, sitting side by side as Sai whispered sweet nothings to Luyii. I assumed Lai's ears were closed, but it was more likely she was trying desperately to stiffle laughter. Snowcat and the Scarlet Mistress sat huddled in a booth, discussing business. I could only guess which sort.

Sitting at a barstool, I ordered my drink and took out a smoke, sighing heavily. So fucking boring.

"Hey, you got a light?" I turned to see Chang, a Tiparillo hanging off his lip. I smirked.

"Depends, you got a smoke?" He laughed and gave me one of his imports, trading it briefly for my fancy new lighter as he lit up. Taking it back, I tucked my own smoke away and lit up the exotic brand, savouring the taste for a moment before breathing out. Me and Chang went way back, motherfucker always seemed to turn up on my more... brutal enforcing missions. Smoothed things over often. I wouldn't call him a friend, but he was a nice guy.

"I hate these things," he said, snapping me from my revery. "It's filled with almost as much diplomacy as the Goddamn meetings." I nodded.

"Yeah... I might clear off soon. Xing's blackmailed me into early morning 'bodyguard' work. With him, that might entail anything." My drink came and I took a sip, savouring the taste as Chang smoked slowly. "Anyway man, I gotta go. Have a good one." Chang smiled and lifted his cigarette, almost in salute.

"You too, man." I laughed and saluted back before weaving my way back to Yugo, who was still taking his job seriously enough to impinge on my good time. I sighed. It was almost a blessing I had to leave early.[/font][/color][/size]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][b][center][i]Act Two: The Cold War
Scene One: The Opening
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center][/b][/i]

[i]Luyii sat still with Lai as ever near her side while Sai walked over to the bar casually to pick up another round and to exchange a few words with Detective Chang. The other serving women appeared to be occupied either with flirting or fetching. Luyii was sure Sai and Chang were talking business, probably about the fight club or something equally dull to her. Desperate for entertainment, Luyii stood and with Lai hovering like a shadow just to the side of her. Yugo and Dead straightened a bit as she approached, and Lai stifled a smile. It never paid to show disrespect to Luyii, who, of course had men who could fix things, but preferred herself to just bend them over her knee.[/i]

"Good evening gentlemen. I hope you're not as bored as me and Lai."

"We might be, but I didn't say it."

"I did."

[i]Dead's mutter didn't fall on deaf ears, oh no. Luyii flashed him what must have been a mischievous grin and let her gaze drift over to Lai. She fixed her gaze on the handmaiden specifically and spoke to Shi directly, even as she didn't look at him. Lai shifted slightly, being the object of Luyii's attention wasn't even easy for her and she'd grown up with it.[/i]

"When I gave you the lighter, and Yugo the Dodge, I realized how unequal they really were. Of course, there is something else as a reward for the services you've paid to me and my father as well."

[i]Her voice was smooth, like a piece of silk brushed against ice, and her tongue moved across her lips, perhaps as she thought of what might happen between her favorite enforcer and Lai. Dead raised an eyebrow and switched his focus from Luyii's perfect chest to Lai's.[/i]

"Just be sure to return her unharmed. And at a decent hour."

[i]If Luyii hadn't already gone over the topic with Lai, a cat fight would've most likely ensued, and while it would've been entertaining, it wouldn't have looked so good in front of the guests. Fortunately for everyone involved, Lai had already been crushing on Dead for some time. And standards be damned. Of course if the computer was accurate, he wasn't exactly poor...was he? Lai smiled up at Shi, all four foot six of her.[/i]

"Well, my daring escape has apparently been made for me."

[i]Luyii was positive she could hear Yugo mutter under his breath 'daring' and look back at his drink. Lai left at Dead's arm, and Luyii took his place, relieving a passing servant of one of the many champagne flutes on the tray. She took a reflective sip and leaned back slightly, surveying the crowd. Her glance passed over the Scarlet Mistress and Snowcat. Then flicked past Boss Shek Lu's. Yugo caught the almost unintentional curl of her upper lip and was about to say something to her when he caught her frosty glare.[/i]

"Right. I saw nothing."

"Absolutely nothing."

[i]She resumed staring back over the crowd and Yugo went back to nursing his drink, both looking thoroughly bored.[/i][/font][/COLOR]

[Chaos]

"YOU PIECE OF FUCKING YELLOW SHIT!"

[i]The bastard started running away. He had used my own handcuffs against me. Got one on his left wrist, and then the son of bitch rammed his head backwards into my chin, and slapped me in the face with the free clink. And then he had the nerve to [b]run.[/b] What the fuck?[/i]

Pounding footsteps tore after the scrawny dealer. He was panting hard; the wind long left his lungs after being slammed into a wall and then running for his life. This cop was something else. He managed to overwatch a deal from down the street and didn't even bother to try and set him up. On top of that, he had been chasing the pusher for more than ten blocks now. The pusher, a goon for the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity, looked over his shoulder as he turned around a corner. He was still coming.

The dealer saw what might be his opportunity and drove quickly into a trash alley along one side of a building. He ducked low behind a Dumpster and tried to catch his breath, tried to slow his racing heart. He panted quietly, wiping sweat from his eyes, and listened as well as he could over the roar of his pulse.

[i]There.[/i]

The stomping of the hard boots against the cement went thundering past and faded off into the night. The dealer blinked several times, straining to hear. He turned onto his shoulder and crooked his neck so minutely he didn't even think it moved. Peering from the side of the container he saw the empty alleyway, heard nothing but silence. Several minutes passed before the pusher reached up and pulled the hood of his green sweatshirt over his head. He stood slowly, listening to the still night. He began walking, slowly, towards the street, picking up speed to a brisk walk as he neared the sidewalk.

[i]Fuck you.[/i]

It was then that he was collared, from behind, and he felt what must have been a steel vice dig into the back of his skull. In that moment that adrenaline flowed through his veins again, he felt almost weightless as he floated to the brick wall to his left. Time slowed as he came closer and closer to the wall. He thought he could see the individual cracks in the mortar, the tiniest pits in the bricks.

Then, reality struck back with fury. His perception of time returned to normal as he felt the bones of his nose shift in place. Warm blood flooded out of his nostrils and lips. He managed to draw enough air to get half a scream out before he was smashed headlong into the wall again and then a third time. By this time he managed to get his hands over his face and let out a stifled moan. He felt himself getting spun around and the vice repositioning to cover his forehead. With a dazed realization he somewhat knew what was coming next.

[i][b]Fuck you.[/b][/i]

Four, five times the back of the thin Asian boy's head was slammed into the wall. By the third swing his knees buckled and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He now crumpled to the ground and was slowly gurgling. His body twitch on one motion, rolling him from his back against the wall to face-first into the dirty ground. Foam slowly leaked out of his mouth as the hand of God descended from above and pulled him up by the hair.

In his distortion he heard the roars above, feeling the hammer blows land across his cheeks and jaw. The thunder crack of every strike seethed with fire, though from a very far away place. One good shot to the base of the jaw was strong enough to fling his body to the right, ripping a bloody chunk of hair from his scalp as the other hand held strong. His head and shoulder collided audibly with the cement, a blow that elicited a grunt from the disfigured mouth of the dealer.

[b][i]FUCK YOU![/i][/b]

He was gone. There was nothing left of this scum. His eyes saw no more, just the dark night fading to complete back. The blood flow from his wounds slowed as his body lost blood pressure. His heart rate dropped and his lungs emptied one last time. But he had one last moment of horror as he saw the steel-toe boot swinging into view, coming from the cloud on high. The last thing he saw was the fine cracks in the leather hide before his torso tossed back from the kick to the skull.

The cop continued kicking, hitting the dead suspect several times more before dropping down to his knees, hands grasping the mutilated face on both sides of the eye sockets...

"FUCK YOU!"

...and pulled up.

Putting all of his force into his shoulders, the cop shifted his weight and momentum, and growled as he felt the sickening crunch go through his hands as the skull shattered against the ground. He raised again, slammed again, raised again, slammed again, and again, and again. Again.

Again.

Again...

Again...

Again....



Neil snapped out of it when he realized he was no longer pummeling a head anymore; instead he was staring into a flattened bag that felt like it had glass shards and Jell-O in it. His hands were covered in blood and his tongue was bleeding from when he was clenching his teeth so hard. Blood had soaked into the knees and shins of his jeans and had splattered all over his arms and chest. He stood quickly, looking around him, slightly lost. It was quiet now. No more whimpers or guttural snarling. And there had been no screams that he heard -- no witnesses.

Neil turned to leave the alleyway when he stopped short. He looked over his shoulder at his victim and turned back in the same motion. He grabbed the pusher's left leg and dragged him further into alley, back behind the Dumpster they had shared opposite sides of then he cornered his target. He pulled the dealer up against the Dumpster and the wall, satisfied that the lack of significant light and shadow of the container would hide him until morning. Just as he stood he remembered why he chased him in the first place.

He reached into the pocket on the front of the now-purple sweatshirt with green patches, and pulled out the three vials and two filled syringes. He felt something else, and reached after it, pulling out a money clip with more than a few hundreds.

Neil stood once more, looking over his shoulder as he slipped the contraband into the left pouch-pocket of his cargo pants. He shrugged, and looked up to the dark sky, and smiled.

"Well, I took what mattered most to him...why not take it all?"

He pocketed the money in the opposite leg, and turned to the street again.

-----

He killed the sirens on his black Crown Victoria, the designated undercover car for American police forces, and drove for half a block more. He saw the building, large and looming over the street. He parked, illegally, directly across the street. He got out quickly, and walked with swift and purposeful strides to the entrance. He counted four limousines outside and about seven large men in black suits out front, all smoking and wearing sunglasses in the dead of night. They all straightened up and turned to face him as soon as his intentions were obvious enough. Neil slowed his pace a little and saw no less than three of them unbutton their coats.

Neil put his right hand up as he approached the light circle under the street lamp and reached his left around his back. He brought back out a flip-out badge with an identification card. The strongmen stood a little taller and most sighed in an exasperated manner.

"Relax," Rave called out as he stepped up onto the curb. "I'm not here for any of you. I'm here to see Chang. So, if you'll just excuse me..."

Neil slipped past the first two portly fellows before the rest encircled him. He stopped cold and looked around him as they all stared back with the same ugly glare. Though none of them were taller than him, though they were all within arm's reach, he was not in the mood to be shot at at this time of night. Sighing, he reached back with his left and replaced his badge and let his right dangle to retrieve the money clip. He flipped it over in his fingers reluctantly, with a grimace on his face, and then held it up to the goon directly in front of him. He popped the wad in the air and swung around the guy as he reached up to grab the money.

A quick jog to the elevator and a button press later he was rising through the complex. The doors opened with a ding and four men, completely fitting the prerequisites for bouncers all turned from the straight hallway to peer at Neil. They were standing in a square formation right in front of the large double doors to the parlor.

Neil walked up, not even giving them a glance as he continued through the left door. One of them called after him as he barged in. He immediately spotted his boss and approached him. His ghastly and bloody appearance gathered quiet stares parallel to the distance he made across the room until he reached the bar.

Eric Chang turned around slowly, having felt someone approach. He was sipping his drink when he turned and in his startling vision he slurped his drink noisily. He coughed lightly as he rolled his eyes at his Sergeant. He was going to grind Neil for this. It would cost a lot to clean up whatever mess he had made if he looked like this.

"Christ," Chang muttered. "You're covered in blood, Scruggs; you DO know that, right?"

"Chang, we have a problem. I suggest we discuss this, now."

Eric raised an eyebrow; it wasn't every day one of his beat officers gave him an order. The Rave was on thin ice as it was, so it had better be one goddamn good reason for him to act this way. They both turned and leaned on the counter as Neil fished out the drugs and laid them on the counter. Before he spoke, he pulled a fifty from his wallet quickly and looked to the bartender.

"Hey pops, fifty dollars says there is a spilled drink on the other side of the bar. How's about cleaning it up?"

The bartender took the bill silently and walked away, to where, exactly, neither of the cops cared as long as he wasn't within earshot.

"I found an old friend of yours, Eric," Neil began. "Yue Fu Shi." The name earned a snorted chuckle. "Caught him right off a deal. Bust went bad, he caught me blinking. Chased him down and...well, that's not important. What IS important is what he was selling."

Neil shuffled the contraband in front of his Detective. Eric merely clinched his jaw.

"Looks an awful lot like what Allen described, doesn't it?"

"Where was Shi pushing?" the Machine Gun asked huskily.

Neil tilted his head for a question, seemingly concentrating.

"Seven and a half blocks away."

[Malkav]

[size=1]"Sir, what is your religion?" asked the good doctor to the man sitting at the opposite side of his desk.

His client shifted slightly in his seat, surprised by the question presented to him, "Excuse me?"

"I asked, 'what is your religion?'" replied Dr. Xiao dryly, "Now, if I had to guess by just looking at you, I'd say Christian. Of course, these days you see more atheists and Muslims than I feel comfortable with, but Christians are still here, there, and everywhere."

The good doctor adjusted his glasses.

"Christian," replied the client, "I was baptized at a young age and went to a small church in..."

"That's quite enough, sir." Xiao paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "What you do... In your religion it's not accepted. These urges you've come here to me to describe. These urges that you want me to rid you of."

"That's why I'm here. I read your work and I believe you can help me."

"How exactly?"

The client looked as if he didn't want to answer, but the good doctor knew where this was going. It didn't take much thought for his Ivy League mind to decipher, and the doctor had already decided, he was going to cash in on this poor man. The doctor waited as time passed between his last question and his client's answer and decided to go ahead with his plan. The doctor picked up the phone and made a quick call to his secretary.

"Summon Bridget if you don't mind."

The client suddenly looked up as if coming out of a daze. "Who is Bridget? I thought I had another hour or so."

"Bridget is an employee of mine." said the doctor ignoring his client's quip about time, the good doctor was always on time, "May I offer you a drink? It's a slightly aged cognac that I keep, one of my favorites actually. I would like to share it with you."

The doctor produced two glasses and a decorative liquor bottle from his desk. He poured the cognac into both glasses and gave one to his client.

"Is this standard?" asked the client, surprised by the doctor's behavior.

"In my office? Yes it is." replied Xiao, sipping from his glass.

His client cautiously began to drink the cognac, he trusted the doctor, which was good. The door opened suddenly and in walked a child carrying a teddy bear, young, no older than twelve or thirteen.

"Oh, I see." said the client, making an educated assumption about the situation, "You bring this child in here for me to face my problem. The drink is to sedate me enough not to call you a quack, outright."

The child walked up to the desk and stood to the side of the man and looked at him. The child held the bear close, almost as if the bear was a protector.

"Not quite," said the good doctor, "in my line of work; not only as a Psychiatrist, but as a Gentleman and also a hardworking man, I find it imperative that I whatever I engage in sees some sort of profit come by my way."

The client took another sip of cognac as the child came closer, making him uneasy.

"Yet, as it were, I am also obligated to do some good. I am a doctor after all, my job is to help people. Keeping with these guidelines, I've come up with a solution for you as well as I. That solution is, after reviewing your condition, to let you have the boy, Bridget."

The client's heart dropped as he realized what the doctor was talking about. "I can't do this, I came here for a cure, some way to fight against the urges. He's only a child! And you're going to hell for dressing him like this!"

Bridget was dressed like a little school girl. He had long blond hair and blue eyes, the client honestly thought he was a girl.

"Calm down, I'm offering you a service, you can't refuse. I could tell you lies all day and you can come back to me week after week paying by the hour as you have been doing, or I could provide you with a service, letting you come and go as you please for a slightly less inflated price."

The client was about to speak, but before he could Bridget jumped into his lap and got close, the only thing between the two being the bear. Bridget leaned forward and licked the client's ear. He whispered softly, "I'm yours." making the client break out into a cold sweat. It all flooded back to him, the client began remembering long repressed memories: How he used to go to his son's little league games to watch him and his team, how when his wife and children were asleep he would sneak off to his study and watch little boys on the internet. He knew those memories before, but would push them to the back of his mind as soon as he was finished, he tried not to think about it, but the damned memories always came back, always showed what he was capable of. He then remembered his company trip to Thailand, remembered the young boy on the corner and remembered the shame he felt after he had done hisdeed.

The doctor knew about all of this from their previous talks, he knew the client was remembering this even now as this honey hair child sat in his lap.

"This...this is going to make me worse..." said the client, his voice shaky, his lips quivering.

"No it won't." quiped the doctor, going back to his desk and finishing his cognac, "It will keep accidents like the boy from Thailand happening again. That poor child, imagine what he went home and told his parents."

"I can't do this, I..I have to go." the client said trying to leave the chair, but Bridget grinded into his lap, he couldn't move...it felt so good.

"Your condition, the clinical term being homo-erotic pedophilia, must be contained. It cannot be eliminated, nor can it be silenced. One day you will be an old man, luring children in with promises of candy and other sweets only to have your way with them. What will you do then? You can't let them go, they'll get you arrested, they will run right home and tell their mothers and fathers. You only option will be to kill the poor children, they won't talk then. After that you'll have to get rid of the bodies and I doubt large trash bags will go unnoticed. Any path you follow besides mine will lead to ruin."

The client timidly put his hands around Bridget, and young Bridget moaned from the touch. He smelled like fresh picked strawberries, the client couldn't help but be intoxicated.

"What you have is a beast." continued the good doctor, "Left in the wild, the beast has a shorter lifespan. The beast will be hunted, the beast will need to hunt it's own food. I'm offering that beast sanctuary, it will be caged and it will never leave these walls again. I'll feed it and I'll take care of it, the beast will ultimately become my responsibility."

The client closed his eyes and held Bridget tighter, "I want that. I want him. I'm a businessman Dr. Xiao, I know you have your price."

"My bill will be written up for you. I only ask for a semi annual payment of which I will disclose later."

"Whatever you want, Doctor, I'll pay."

"Good job. Bridget will show you to your room."

Bridget rose from the client and grabbed his hand, leading him towards the door. The doctor walked in front of them and opened the door. As the client walked by the doctor grabbed his hand and put a bottle of pills in it.

"When you're done with your therapy," said the doctor, a slight smile on his face, "Take two of these and call me in the morning."

The client shook the doctor's hand and walked out of the door. The good doctor walked back to his desk and sat down. He produced a pen and looked into his client's file. He wrote on a sticky note attached to it, "diagnosed" and promptly called his secretary to send in his next client.[/size]

[Wondershot]

[SIZE=1]?Are you certain??
?Yes, yes, His head was gone...there...there was blood everywhere, b-but I?m certain that, that it was him!...?
?All right, go and inform Razorback of the news. He?ll want to know.?

A long silence.

?Me? Inform Razorback??

More silence.

?...of...of course.?


He dreaded the climb up the stairs. It would be his first time in that room alone, and the stairs might as well have been Everest compared to what awaited him at the top. He placed a tentative hand on the guardrail, and began his ascent, treading lightly on each hardwood step. He began to wonder if he should have brought an oxygen tank or something of the sort. He was wearing his thickest jacket, although he regretted the decision as he now worried about getting a hole burned through it. About halfway up the stairs, a rumbling voice started vibrating the walls, and he paused in mid-stride to hear what the voice was saying.

[i]The flashbulb, has come, to make the girls, horny.
The flashbulb, has come, to make the girls, come.
The flashbulb, has come, to make the girls, horny.
The flashbulb, has come, to make the girls, come.[/i]

The voice began to get distorted as it droned on, and he wondered if there was something in the air making it sound different to him. He decided that it would probably be best if he just goes in, delivers the news, then leaves. He won?t even stay to hear the reaction, he won?t bother to pay attention to what sort of mood Razorback is in, he?ll just go in, shout the single sentence over the music, and then leave. He will have done his job, no one will be able to say that he didn?t do as he was told. He was almost at the top of the stairs, and nearly broke into a run as he moved to the door at the end of the hall. He placed a trembling hand on the doorknob, and twisted it, pushing all his weight against the door. The door swung open invitingly.

He took a deep breath to deliver the news...

And fell over.

He struggled to get up from the floor, but his arms weren?t moving the way they should. Rather than moving straight down, they flailed about to the sides and behind his back painfully, acting independently of his brain. To his horror, he realized that his legs were behaving similarly, and he couldn?t get up. He could hear someone laughing in the distance. With great effort, he craned his head upwards, and saw Razorback lying on the floor, laughing hysterically, also apparently unable to right his own body movements.

Razorback looked over, and cried out over the music.

?Seng! Loud mother oversight falling!?

Seng rolled over unwillingly, and felt his arms and legs start to tighten up. He yelled out in pain, and then called out to Razorback to help him. Razorback laughed in response.

?Pig wait understated another new captivity!?

Seng watched as Razorback managed to pull his arm towards his body, and removed his dart gun from it?s holster. Seng tried to crumple his arms over his head to stop Razorback?s dart, but only succeeded in holding himself upright with his left arm for a moment before it crumpled and he hit his head hard on the ground. He heard the fateful hiss of a dart flying through the air, and twisted his head uncomfortably just in time to see Razorback?s dart fly towards him. The dart hit him in the right temple. Seng screamed and tried to get the dart off his head, but his arms only flailed comically, one of them merely succeeding in striking him across the cheek. Razorback?s laugh continued unabated, and Seng?s bladder, already stressed from the alcohol he had consumed in order to work up the courage to arrive, finally failed him and ruined his favorite pair of jeans. A moment later, Seng reached down to assess the damage, and realized that he was in control of his body again. He heard another hiss, and this time looked up to see Razorback shoot himself. Seng got up, almost unused to his own body, and looked down at his pants in despair. Sadly, he looked up too late to see Razorback throw his arms around him.

?Seng! So nice to see you! Do you know what you said when you called out?? Razorback?s grin remained, and he started laughing prematurely.

??Light me Screwdriver!?? Razorback?s laugh became louder as he released Seng from his embrace, and Seng looked around worriedly as the music faded into oblivion. He saw that the room was bathed in a purple gas, emanating continuously from a massive beaker on the far table. All the windows and other doors in the room had been closed, and, through the mist, Seng could make out the silhouettes of other people in the lab. They were lying on the floor, limp, and Seng was convinced one of them was bleeding from the mouth. He almost forgot the news he had been asked to deliver, but before he could open his mouth again, Razorback began yelling in a voice higher than usual.

?Ataxia, aphasia...was there...was there agraphia? Hey, Seng, did you feel like you couldn?t...ahahaha...couldn?t understand writing??

Seng tried to utter the news, but was cut off again.

?Agraphia...three a?s...alliteration...a syndrome...asymmetry...?

A long pause, Seng opened his mouth again but Razorback suddenly exploded.

?I have it! Ihaveitihaveitihaveitihaveit...you...you-you-you know what I?m going to call it??

This time, Seng held his tongue.

?Ataraxia!? Razorback started chuckling again, then it evolved into riotous laughter. Seng was so taken aback at what he saw that he almost forgot the reason he came. Razorback?s laughter continued, and then stopped abruptly as Razorback turned to look at Seng. He was smiling curiously, his head tilted slightly to the side. There was a moment of silence, and then Seng began to speak again.

?Yue...?

?I didn?t think the chemicals would sublimate that quickly. At least I got a chance to test...to test, test what it was capable of, right??

Seng?s mouth closed again, Razorback stood in the same awkward, head tilted pose. Seng tried again.

?Yu...?

?I figure not that many people would be interested in something that prevents your motor functions and language center from functioning properly, but there?s always some sort of of of of market for that.?

Seng stopped, then started again as soon as he saw Razorback inhaling.

?Yue Fu Shi is dead.?

?I figured that something that wouldn?t even get as far as the street wouldn?t need a name, but so long as, so long as, so long as...?

Razorback stopped mid-stride and turned around.

?...Overdose??

?No...?

?THAT IDIOT. That motherfucker going on a vacation with my things and turning himself into a corpse while he?s at it. I, I, I, I, I tell him not to take what he doesn?t know about it, some mixture of the wrong stuff leading, leading to respiratory arrest and...Dragon?s Tongue! He took it and died, didn?t he! That stuff is brilliant, some of the finest craftsmanship I?ve ever seen in my life. Overdose with just one whiff...sets about, about the brain noodles like termites...I should take credit for it. I really...really, really can?t understand why Yue would...for fuck?s sake, he didn?t die of an overdose? You?re sure sure sure??

Through his tirade, Seng noticed that Razorback?s smile didn?t fade in the least, and he started to become perturbed. He looked down.

?Uh...R, Razorback...your shirt...?

Razorback slowly followed Seng?s eyes to look at his own navel, and saw a widening patch of blood appearing on his shirt. He watched patiently as the blood eventually began trickling, drop by drop, down the legs of his track pants to pool in what remained of his sneakers. He craned his head to look at it, then slowly, as though unveiling the results of a magic trick, began pulling his shirt up past his waistline, and Seng nearly retched at the sight of the gash running from Razorback?s left hip to his belly button, bleeding from a torn stitch. Razorback continued to stare at it until Seng brought himself to speak again. Or at least attempted to.

?Uh...?

?I?ll, I?ll fix it, hold on...?

Seng watched in shock as Razorback, slowly and methodically, reached his right arm down to the wound and began unravelling more stitches until he was able to reach two fingers into the cut itself. Seng finally lost it, vomiting what remained of his lunch (chicken and rice, he can still make out grains of rice) all over the floor before Razorback. Razorback started to laugh again, but was cut short by the pain from his wound. After rooting around for what seemed to be an eternity, Razorback finally removed a blue vial from inside himself triumphantly, and held it out for Seng to see, see, see, see...

?...See? See? I knew it was right there! I?ve been looking for it for a month!?

Razorback turned back to his lab table, and began fiddling with his dart pistol. Seng looked around, and noticed the bleeding man in the corner stirring. Seng heard what he thought to be ?Wanton bass coverage? before turning too late to dodge the incoming dart. It struck Seng in the base of the skull, and Razorback giggled.

?My finest creation, to date...Kiss, Kiss...I...I forget the...?

Razorback failed to finish his sentence before collapsing to the ground, dart having been implanted in his own head. Seng did the same. He attempted to get up worriedly, but then realized that he had no interest in getting up, that he would rather just lie there and take in Razorback?s words...

?Kiss from a...a...a dictionary...or...or a...a...?

Seng shivered at every ?a? sound, as they sent electric jolts down his spine. He turned his head, and the sound of his skull rolling against hardwood sent a jolt that reached down to his fingertips. Seng couldn?t believe it, he could feel sounds.

?A word, word, word kiss, word tongue, tongue kiss, tongue...?

Each word sailing through the air made Seng?s body tighten and heat up. He couldn?t understand what was happening, but Seng found himself hanging on to every sound that Razorback was making. He saw the stereo system under a table next to him, and reached out to flick it back on. The song from before began transforming into a raucous drum solo, and Seng visibly twitched with every beat.

?Word salad, salad, sa, language, language, language words, language kiss...?

Seng could hardly think, he was completely consumed with the noise before him. In the background, he heard Razorback scream, and he screwed his eyes shut as beads of sweat began to cascade down his forehead.

?I have it!?

Seng orgasmed.

...fell uncon...

?...alled it Le...?

Razorback turned around to see Seng limp on the ground. Razorback got up, continued to stand there for a full minute, until he finally bent down to check on his messenger. Razorback then rose and briefly muttered to himself.

?It can, though, cause se...ser...serotonin toxicity.?

Razorback picked up his gun again, and looked around for a new dart...


Seng...

He awakened in...in an alley of some sort...he wasn't completely certain what alley, but he had an idea that he wasn't where he was supposed to be. His pants were stained, he smelled terrible and he was covered with sweat, but he was only vaguely aware of the impression that he had to run away as quickly as possible. He had no idea where, but he knew it wasn?t safe where he was. He began running away, becoming vaguely aware of his limb movements as he did so. He then decided it was probably a good idea to scream, yeah, scream for help. That?s wasn't a bad idea. No one was out on the streets, but he just found himself standing in place, screaming, wondering what he may have been running away from.

He just knew that it was important that he run away.

He turned to look back down the street, and a most unusual sight met his eyes. An apartment building with a closed top floor window, which appeared to be bleeding a trickle of purple smoke into the night sky. He remembered that he had an errand of some sort to run, but he couldn?t remember what it was.

He just dreaded the climb up the stairs.[/SIZE]

[Sandy]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Snowcat leaned forward to be able to whisper to the Scarlet Mistress so that the other people around them couldn't hear.

[B]"Shek Lu must go down in this impending war"[/B], Snowcat hissed. [B]"You can't bail out on your promise!"[/B]

[B]"But it's too dangerous!"[/B] the Mistress exclaimed. [B]"This war upon us is no joke, Ten. We can't risk our Brotherhood's future for your petty vengeance! If Shek Lu still lives when the war is over, you can challenge him. I will support your ascension to his place."[/B]

[B]"You know I have nothing against that bastard in a duel! Now's our chance to get rid of him, once and for all!"[/B] Snowcat retorted. He was getting frustrated, but the Scarlet Mistress was obviously scared.

[B]"He is already suspicious of us, Ten, and this certainly isn't the safest place to discuss these matters. My life is at stake here as well, so I will hear no more of this from you."[/B] The Scarlet Mistress rose to leave. Snowcat stood up and nodded to her in respect. [B]"Good night, Ten."[/B]

Snowcat watched as the Scarlet Mistress left the lounge, then he walked to the Willow Fairy, taking his most charming smile.

[B]"Can I thank the hostess once again for the magnificent gifts you provided for me?"[/B] Snowcat said, bowing his head.

Luyii Chou covered her smile with her hand. [B]"You flatter me, Mr. Wu. I hope you have enjoyed our hospitality. It's rare for two Brotherhoods to interact so openly."[/B]

[B]"Yes, thank you. It is true that this is rare, but trust me, only together we are able to bring down the Infinite Longevity. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take my leave."[/B]

[B]"Oh? So soon? Well then, have a safe trip home"[/B], the Willow Fairy said politely.

Snowcat knew he would need every good wish he could get, because for him, this war was being fought in two fronts. As he stepped into the night, he wished that the Scarlet Mistress would be safe as well, for she was his only ally.[/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Suppose it was time I joined this little soiree.

The Jade Palace. One could possibly finder a great collection of high class whores here than in New Amsterdam's Red Light district. Still it didn't matter, he wasn't here to indulge his sexual appetites, this kill would have a destabilising effect on the entire alliance process being negotiated between the once embittered Brotherhoods, after that it would simply be a mop-up exercise for the FBI, with a few summary executions no doubt.

Infiltrating the Scarlet Mistresses personal quarters might have proven difficult, but The Raven was anything if not resourceful, and the Brotherhood had made a startling error in judgement by having such weak defences positioned within the heart of their operations. It was late, nearly midnight by and the darkness would give rise to less complications than a daylight hit.

He braced himself, stretching out his muscles before the whoosh of air currents above San Francisco enveloped the chopper. It's rotors created next to no noise, and a carbon composite exterior made it invisible to radar, it would be a simple jump, and with any luck the kill would be made without anyone suspecting his involvement.

"[b]Ready to drop ?[/b]"

"[b]Yes.[/b]"

One word. After it he threw himself out of the hovering air-vehicle and catapulted down through the California night sky, he watched as the entire city, driven through it's lights buzzed with a living quality, on any other night it might have been pleasant to watch, but right now it wasn't something he could be distracted by. The Brotherhood's compound grew in size with every second, the rip-cord of his chute was gripped in his left hand... just a few more seconds until he reached the correct altitude.

The parachute deployed perfectly, hours and hours of training had built up enough muscle memory that he nearly hadn't realised he'd pulled the cord. The glide down was uneventful, only a pair of sentries eying the main gate, each of which was probably from one of the Brotherhoods, he adjusted his trajectory to sweep past them without alerting their attention, it was too easy, the paranoia in the back of his mind crept slowly into conscious thought. Raven willed it back down, he would deal with paranoia later, probably when a hail of bullets was whizzing over his skull.

Impacting silently against the roof of the Scarlet Mistress' quarters, the agent undid each of the buckles which had kept him from plummeting to the group like a stone. There was only a single skylight overlooking what at first glace might have been a harem, but with a single stately bath large enough to accommodate several clients it seemed he had dropped right in on the Scarlet Mistress's own private retreat.

Removing a tool from the carefully secured backpack slung over his shoulder, he cut effortlessly through the glass before descending into the empty room. It was luxuriously decorated, anciently styled and yet filled with cutting-edge conveniences, it seemed to perfectly sum up a woman who's business was as much information gathering as pleasuring wealthy young men. He surreptitiously surveyed the chamber for any signs of movement, there weren't any, that paranoid feeling simply refused to go away screaming "TOO EASY" into every conscious thought.

The odds of the Mistress having guards here was minimal, his beat option was to simply wait for her to arrive, seduce her and then terminate her according to contract, apparently her services were no longer available but he was confident he could overcome that particular barrier. Stripping out of his infiltration suit, he wrapped himself in a silk robe and merely waited.


Alright I know I was supposed to finish this with a murder but my mind is really out of whack tonight. For however is going to discover her, the Scarlet Mistress will be found death in her bath, a single, small slit across her jugular that is delicately wrapped in a silken scarf. Again sorry, hopefully the death scene will be better. [/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][center][b]Act Two: The Cold War
Scene Two: Complications
~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/b][/center]

[i]And so ended the party, with the two members of the San Francisco Police Department returning to their precinct, the doctor returning to his patients, the Jade Forest returning to their territory, and the Sleepers retiring at last.

Bouncers and enforcers locked up the mansion after the last guest had left. Dozens of cleaning drones wet to work as bar tenders restocked depleted stores. Boss Fai with his guards returned to his personal quarters while Yugo went down to the garages to presumably sit with the Dodge Fury for just a little while. Maybe even touch it. Luyii meanwhile was resting in her room while Sai Yuan wrapped up a few loose ends with Kwan. Odds are he'd be buried under a mountain of paperwork and she would too. Of course, witth the pressure her father would soon be putting on her, Sai would only be a horrible distraction.

Without Lai, the room was so quiet and dull, Luyii was almost lonely. She was so used to talking about the things that troubled her to a listening ear, it was almost frightening. But being alone might be thereputic. The doctor would be proud. She stood and drew a bath for herself, with no one else to pick up after her, she did it herself, feeling odd and confused at the same time.

"I suppose I shouldn't be that off kilter. It's not like I'm helpless here."

Mentally fortified, Luyii laid out her own towel, robe, and lingerie and began the tedious process of removing the silver chi pao. The little toggle ties were very stubborn, but that never stopped a girl determined to take her bath. Luyii set her jaw and flicked each knotted piece of fabric out of each loop, then unzipped the hidden side and stepped out, hanging it up for the drycleaning later. At her vanity table, she undid the pins in her hair, the jewelry in her ears, and the bracelets she'd slipped on what seemed like days ago. Naked and nearly staggaring with effort, she sank herself into the bathtub, sighing in relaxation. No more noises from riotous laughter, no more boredom that comes from having nothing to say to anyone. No more diplomacy.[/i]

"Yes!"

[i]She tilted her head back, running a handful of water over her hair, smiling with relief. No more falsehood, no more pretending. It was so freeing. In her own room, without visitors, she didn't have to pretend for anyone. Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head, even with them closed, she could still hear the White Prince's mocking voice. Hear Sai's voice challenging him openly. She remembered how Dr. Xing had tightened his grip on the files in front of him. Her father had shown no outward emotion, but he knew the value of his ability to not show such weaknesses, especially over something like that.[/i]

"And with war, comes responsibility of the female blood heir. ...children. I'll have to make babies with Sai. Marry him in front of everyone. Pledge eternal devotion and loyalty. No more prizefighting while they're trying to breed me like a prize mare."

[i]The thought of being used like brood stock was almost repellent, but the Willow Fairy knew that having her wings clipped was a small price to pay for safety and security. After all, what did it matter?

Luyii stood up, water streaming off her body, and reached for her towel. As she did, a thin fold of paper fluttered to the floor like a maple seeed, avoiding the small puddle of water she'd created. It must have been slipped into the crease of the towel. She wrapped herself up in it and dried one hand, reaching down for the parchment. Her brow furrowed as she read the words, then she crushed it in her hand and tossed it into the bathtub. Pulling the plug with one toe, she stepped over to the corner and dressed herself after a vigorous rubdown. She sat alone at the table, brushing her own hair, plaiting it, and tying it back. Resting both hands in her lap, she stared quietly into the mirror, gazing very calmly at her own reflection.[/i]

"I am a daughter of the Sleepers. I will do what is necessary to further the clan's existence. I will not be afraid of the consequences."

[i]She turned and opened a small drawer on her vanity. Cuping her hand around the pad of paper she had stashed there, she could write without one of the cameras picking up what she was doing. Several lines in, she abruptly stopped, dropped the pad back into her drawer and slammed it shut. Then she turned, and crawled into bed. The covers around her heeks, she rolled into a ball and felt utterly miserable and alone.[/i][/font][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[SIZE=1]OoC: For this post, I'm holding nothing back. For once I shall follow the rating to the tee. I dedicate this to you, D'Ann. ;D[/SIZE]

[color=RoyalBlue]Snowcat drove slowly towards his private penthouse appartment. A little drunk and concerned a lot , he started to become desperate. A devious plan had been brewing in his for a while now, but he had put his trust on the Scarlet Mistress. But now it seemed that he was out of both time and luck. He decided it was time to put his plan into motion, so he turned his car towards the War Dragon's Fight Club.

-----

An hour later, he knocked on the door of the appartment of Lee Lu, the only son of the White Prince. It really was a crazy and desperate plan, with too many things that could go wrong. But it was the only way he saw possible to avoid having to challenge Shek Lu himself.

When the door opened after a while, Snowcat sighed in relief. The first threshold was crossed - the boy was home.

Lee Lui was wearing nothing but boxer briefs, and Snowcat's eyes wandered in his youthful firm body and slender limbs for a moment, savoring the sight. Lee had inherited the handsome features that his father had already lost. The boy had surely grown from when Snowcat had last seen him. His hair was fuzzy and his eyes hazy, so it was obvious that Snowcat had awakened him.

[B]"You're from the Brotherhood, aren't you?"[/B] the boy asked uncertainly, scratching his head.

[B]"Yes. Your father sent me to pick you up. It's time for your initiation"[/B], Snowcat said. The boy's unusually large eyes suddenly flared up with hope and enthusiasm. At that moment he reminded the late Woodpecker a little too much. [B]"Get dressed. We're taking a ride."[/B]

The boy nodded and practically ran to the bedroom. Snowcat couldn't resist peeking after him. He really was a bit too drunk.

---

[B]"Where are we driving?"[/B] Lee asked, unable to resist his curiosity any more. It was obvious that he had been waiting for his initiation for quite a while now. The boy was already seventeen, it was unusual to hold back the rites for so long, but the White Prince was overprotective of his son. No wonder, when the Brotherhood had members like Snowcat, who ate boys like Lee for breakfast.

[B]"Hold your pants"[/B], Snowcat said with a grin. [B]"We're there very soon."[/B]

Lee's enthusiasm only grew as Snowcat pulled the car to a parking lot, and led him to an appartment building. It was one of his rental appartments that he used for housing some of his more independent girls. It was empty now, but Snowcat had decorated it suitably for Lee's arrival.

The boy was a little taken a back when he saw nothing but a large bed with white sheets surrounded by dozens of candles in the appartment. He looked at Snowcat with confusion in his large, childlike eyes. [I]Fuck, that look is going to make it all the more difficult[/I], Snowcat cursed in his mind.

[B]"Just relax, take a comfortable position in the bed"[/B], Snowcat said with a friendly smile. [B]"This is all a part of the initiation rite to become a member of the Jade Forest."[/B]

Lee laid down to the bed, kicking off his shoes and throwing away his jacket. But the uneasiness still didn't leave his eyes.

[B]"Um, Snowcat, right?"[/B] he asked. [B]"You aren't going to bring in some... girl, are you? Because, you know... I'm not really into... them."[/B]

Snowcat couldn't help to let out a little laugh. This was going all too easily! [B]"Oh, I know that, sweetie. I could tell that from the first time I saw you years ago. You have nothing to worry about. It's going to be just you... and me."[/B]

Snowcat had the pleasure to watch the boy's awkwardness change to excitement again. He took off his long coat and the white scarf he always carried, and sat to the bed next to the lying boy, and started rubbing his chest gently. The boy closed his eyes. Snowcat leaned down, and kissed the boy's lips. His mouth had kissed thousands of lips before, but never had he gotten this kind of sensation out of it.

[B]"There's one more thing, cutie"[/B], Snowcat whispered. [B]"This is to heighten the mood. Prepare for a little sting."[/B]

Snowcat took out an injection needle from his pocket, removed it's cover and stuck it into Lee's arm. He opened his eyes and looked at Snowcat bewildered, but soon he relaxed again. Then the relaxation turned into something completely else. Snowcat glanced at the boy's grotch, and saw a huge bulge there.

Then he surrendered to the heat of the moment. Snowcat hadn't done it with a guy this young for a long, long time, so he had forgotten how intense it could be. And the drug only enhanced it. Lee Lu dissed out all of his sexual fantasies on Snowcat, and it was obvious that both of them got a huge pleasure from imagining the White Prince's expression if he would see what his only son was doing with his sworn rival.

All too soon, it was over. Even though he hated to admit it, Snowcat's heart broke as he watched the younger man spray him with loads of semen. Then those large puppy eyes bulged, and the boy grabbed his chest. With a short cry of pain, Lee Lu fell on top of Snowcat, limp and lifeless.

Pushing the corpse of the boy to the side, Snowcat calmly walked to the bathroom and took a hot shower, rinsing every trace of the boy's cum from his body. He dried himself off, and took out a black body bag from the closet.

-----

The sky was already starting to brighten up when he tossed the body bag in front of the gates of Shek Lu's mansion, careful not to get caught to the surveillance cameras. When the boy's corpse would be found the next morning, it would soon be evident that his death was caused by an overdose of Dragon's Tongue - which was extremely lethal when used by such a young person. The war against Infinite Longevity would flare up in an instant, and the White Prince, blinded by rage and grief, would surely go down.[/color]

[Malkav]

[size=1]It was quiet in Dr. Xiao's office. He had just wrapped up with another client. This one happened to be a politician who, much to the doctor's disapproval, had just beat and killed a prostitute. Normally this wouldn't upset the doctor, but she was his prostitute and a particular favorite of his clientel. The fixing of this problem had tied the doctor up these past nights. For one he had to dispose of the poor girl's body, then he had to make sure the senator compensated him for his inconvenience. Another day another dollar in the Doctor's world. He had to admit however, the girl who died held a particular interest to him.

To curb his aggrevation, he had summoned Seung Lee, his personal concubine. No one else in the building knew her name except him, as far as they were concerned, she had no name. She layed reclined on the doctor's antique chaise loungue, nude, waiting for him to have his way with her. Her large brown eyes stared toward him, enticing him to drop all he was doing, but the good doctor had stumbled upon something which for the moment was slightly more important.

[i]Luyii Chou of all people, [/i]the doctor thought to himself, [i]heir to the Sleepers, how fortunate.[/i]

He read each of her files carefully. [i]Aged 21 and a pit fighter? Why would a boss allow his daughter to pursue such blood sports?[/i] further reading revealed that she has long suffered from the death of her mother and she was a bit starved for affection from her father. Her father was an important man, so the good doctor could see how he could ignore the child...such a simple case, the doctor knew he couldn't resist.

His lover let out a long yawn, attempting to grab him from his work. Realizing he shouldn't take too much longer, the good doctor made a note of cancelling all of his appointments the next day in anticipation of this interesting patient. As he did this his lover walked over to his desk and sat on it, coming close enough so that the good doctor could feel her breath, she layed out in front of him. All the while the doctor thought to himself, [i]cash or charge?

[/i]"Lover," began Seung Lee, "are you alright?"

"Excellent, my dear. I believe I've just been offered a deal that would increase not only the size of my pockets, but also give me some influence within one of the brotherhoods." replied the doctor, standing up from his desk and walking behind his lover.

She turned and sat up, pulling him closer to her petit frame. "Maybe you can send me to college with that extra bulk you carry."

"Perhaps," the doctor said slyly, "but you're still so young, only fourteen."

He touched her face and looked her deeply in the eyes, then suddenly he remembered the girl whom the senator killed. When she was younger, she mentioned that to the doctor. As a matter of fact, her predecessor wanted her family to come to America. The doctor couldn't help but get lost in old memories...

"What are you thinking about?" Seung Lee asked the doctor, at the same time unbuttoning his shirt and revealing his chest.

"You grow up so fast..." he replied, turning her over on her stomach and undoing his pants.

The last thing she could think about before she felt him inside of her was how much she loved him, and how bright their future would be together.
[/size]

[Flash]

Ji Qiang finished his whiskey in a single gulp and slammed the glass hard on the counter. He licked his front teeth and turned to Rave.

"Were there any others with Fu Shi? His crew, any clientel?"

The Sergeant shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno, probably..." he said, his voice uncertain. He glanced down at his the dried blood spattered on his shirt and forearms. "...I was a little preoccupied."

Detective Chang chuckled and nodded. Usually he couldn't be bothered wasting his time chasing junkies at quarter to midnight; especially when he had work in the morning. But DT made things different. He wanted to show these greaseball fuckers what happens when you toy with fire. He turned to Scruggs, grinning.

"I feel some good old fashioned Police work coming on. You comin' with?" Ji Qiang said, gesturing to the door. Neil laughed under his breath with a tone that said 'are you kidding?'. The two cops stood up and headed for the door. Halfway across the room, Chang put his left arm out and stopped the Rave in his tracks. The Sergeant's eyebrow raised as he glanced at Chang, who motioned to the bathroom with his head. "Maybe you should uh... wash up."

---

Ji Qiang, the Machine-gun lit up one of the imported Tiparillos he'd received earlier in the night. He took a long drag and stepped out of the lobby onto the street. People lined the sidewalks; clubbers, drunks, mobsters, party-goers. In the dead of the night the city was at its liveliest. A pair of cute girls in raver gear passed Chang, shooting him suggestive smiles. He licked his lips and grinned back at them. Ah, to be young again.

Neil walked up beside the Detective, scanning the streets in front of him. He'd gotten most of the blood from his hands and shirt; hell, he almost looked half-way respectable. Chang pulled out a box of cigarettes and offered one to the Sergeant. Scruggs obliged, and placed the cigarette between his lips as he scorched the end with a butane-fueled lighter.

"You, giving away cigarettes? What's the catch, Chang?"

"No catch, Scruggs. I'm feelin' generous. Let's go."

His squad car was parked in a private building fifty meters down the street. The two cops walked side-by-side down the crowded pavement, towering over most of the people they walked past. Most of the police force were received by the general public with name and bottle throwing, but anyone stupid enough to hurl abuse at Ji Qiang or Rave would have to be on a suicide mission. Even smart-ass, wannabe gangsters who shouted 'fuck the police' in the face of beat cops got out of the way when they saw Chang or Scruggs coming.

"Did they fix your Mustang yet?" asked the Sergeant. He hadn't seen Chang's car since a few weeks ago when he flipped it during a high-speed chase. The Detective shook his head.

"Not yet... But I've got something even better."

Flicking his cigarette butt into the gutter, Detective Chang turned down an alleyway with the Sergeant following close behind. On their right was an entrance to the parking building. They entered, climbing the staircase to the first floor. The first level was empty save for Chang's personal squad car--A 1978 Cadillac El Dorado Conquistador. Neil's jaw almost hit the floor when he saw it.

"Jesus Christ, Eric! That thing must be a hundred years old!" he yelled, walking up to the ancient automobile. It was pristine--glossy new paint job, immaculate body and a fully refitted modern interior. "When I heard you were getting a '78 Cadillac I assumed you'd be getting a twenty year old car... not a hundred year old car! Does it even run?"

"A hundred twenty one years old, actually," said Chang, smirking. "And it runs, alright. This baby'll take down anything on the street." he walked to the bonnet and popped it, revealing a brand new, chrome-detailed 2100 M-accent BMW W24 Duo-fusion engine--top of the line. "See this engine? It's not even on the market yet." Neil scoffed. He could hardly believe his eyes.

"I don't know how you do it, Chang. But I gotta say--I'm impressed."

Eric Chang dropped the bonnet and got in the drivers seat, Sergeant Scruggs rode shotgun. The Detective turned the key, and the car roared to life. The engine revved loudly and angrily, shaking the walls of the parking building as the Cadillac lurched forward and down the ramp to the ground floor, and out of the car park.

---

A few minutes later they arrived in the general vicinity of where Neil had encountered the dealer. Chang parked the car and got out, lighting up another cigarette. He looked around; the immediate area was littered with crims and junkies. He turned to Neil and spoke.

"Alright, Scruggs. You saw him around here?"

Neil looked to his left, spotting the same alleyway out of the corner of his eye. There were visible blood stains on the dumpster that sat a few meters in from the sidewalk. Rave looked away and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, somewhere around here. What exactly should we be looking for..?"

Chang inhaled, held, and exhaled a plume of thick grey smoke.

"Well if anyone in Fu Shi's entourage is around, they'd be our best bet for information... Other than that, I dunno. This shit looks like any other narcotic, it's gonna be hard to--"

He was cut off by Scruggs, who had already spotted an acquaintance of Yue Fu Shi--"Leo" Zhi Chen, a small-time mobster who had ties with the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity. He was talking on a cellphone, pacing back and forth on the balcony of a shady looking hotel across the street.

Scruggs and Chang nodded to each other and moved in. They entered the Hotel, flashing badges at the receptionist, and heading up the staircase to the second floor. Thankfully, there was only one room facing the street with a balcony; 303. The Detective switched off the safety on his handgun and cocked it. Scruggs checked his pistol, though he'd rather be using the M37 knife at his hip. For this situation, however, a firearm was in order.

"Ready to go." Chang whispered. The Sergeant nodded to Chang, and in one swift motion kicked the door clean from its frame.

No less than five men were in the smoky room, each of them with a weapon within arms reach. There was a table in the center of the room, covered with vials of DT and mountains of unrefined powder. Chen looked inside from the balcony, dropping his phone and diving for cover.

Chang let the first shot fly, hitting the man closest to the door square in the chest with a .45 caliber slug. He spun back, a river of blood erupting from the hole in his torso. Scruggs squeezed his trigger a split second later, pelting a man sitting at the drug-covered table with three nine-millimeter shots into his face.

Now it was only four on two--Much better odds for close combat.

Chang rolled forward and sprang up, striking one of the men in the sternum with his palm. The man stumbled back, winded before Chang hit him in the side of the head once with his right elbow. His neck cracked and he slumped to the floor. Across the room, another man grabbed the MP5 at his side and raised it to shoot the Detective. Before he could pull the trigger, Scruggs hurled a knife that lodged itself in the man's neck. He fell to the ground, firing madly as he did so. The shots caught one of the other men in the room in the shoulder and temple, killing him instantly. Chen was now the only one that remained. He fumbled with his gun, lying on his belly out on the balcony. He managed to get a shot off, but it missed both the Detective and Sergeant Scruggs.

Chen's hand suddenly exploded in a shower of gore. He turned, shaking uncontrollably with fear, to see his right hand replaced with a bloody stump of molten flesh. Smoke flowed smoothly from the barrel of Detective Chang's Glock. He slid the weapon back into the holster under his left shoulder and walked up to the disabled Zhi Chen.

"Leo Chen, drug baron? Last time I saw you, you were a fucking mule. What the fuck happened, Mr. Bigshot?"

The cop flicked the glowing remainder of his cigarette into Leo's face. Leo spat and shook his head to get the ash out of his face, before shooting a cold glance at Chang. He spat at the Detective's feet.

"Fuck you, Chang, you half-cast piece of horse shi-"

Detective Chang cut him off with a stern boot to the cheek, which flung Zhi Chen into the metal railing of the balcony. He could feel his ribs bruising with the impact. He tried to push himself up, but the blood gushing from his wrist made him slip, sprawling in a pool of his own blood. Chang grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and head butted him in the nose three times, the third being so hard it threw him backwards into the hotel room.

"Is this how you want to die, Leo? Beaten to death by a Cop in a drug raid?" the Detective started as he walked up to Chen's feet, towering over the broken man. "Or do you want to tell me where you're getting this Dragon's Tongue shit and live to see another day?" Scruggs leaned against a wall with his arms folded. Chang's interogation methods were certainly entertaining to watch.

The mobster lay in a sniveling heap on the ground, his nose and other bones in his face badly broken. He whispered to the Detective, who leaned in close to hear him.

"There's a man called Xiang Cho Tao who recruited me... I don't know much about him... I think he may be one of their under-bosses... "

"--of the Brotherhood of Infinite Longevity?" asked Chang.

"Yes," replied Chen weakly. "they said I could become an associate... If I helped them push the DT... " he coughed up some blood. "Please... Call an ambulance, I'm bleeding bad..."

This was the Sergeant's favourite part--The part where Eric would go back on his word.

"Not today Leo."

He picked up Zhi Chen and dragged him towards the balcony. In one quick, violent motion Chang thrust his shoulder into the mobster's chest, lifting him up and over into a powerful judo throw. Chen was hurled into the street below, a large utility truck ploughing into him in mid-air, sending a cloud of misty blood and chunks of flesh in all directions. After surveying the carnage he had caused below, Chang grabbed his cellphone and dialed the station.

"This is Special Detective Eric Chang, I'm with Sergeant Neil Scruggs downtown at the..." he glanced at a calendar on the wall that displayed the hotel's name. "...California Sunbeam Hotel?" He looked at Neil with a disgusted expression on his face. Neil responded with a 'what kind of stupid name is that?' look. "Yeah listen we're gonna need a clean-up team and forensics here, drug bust got messy. Six men, all armed, all with ties to the mob. All dead."

[i]"Affirmative, Detective Chang,"[/i] said the voice of a young female at the other end. [i]"Dispatching teams to your location now, ETA three minutes. I expect you'll be leaving the scene now, Detective?"[/i]

Chang grinned.

"You know me too well, Alice. Keep me posted."

[i]"Yes Sir, Detective Chang."[/i]

Eric flipped his cell phone shut and put it back in his jacket pocket. He motioned to Neil, and the two left.

[Wondershot]

[size=1]?Brothers, I?m afraid that we can wait idly no longer.?

Boss Fen paced up and down the meeting room, rage evident from every twitch on his face. He pounded a fist on the round table before him, sending shivers down the spines of all present.

?The irreparable damage done to our headquarters...the consorting of our two greatest foes...the treachery of one of our greatest assets. It would be hopelessly naive of us to believe that our Brotherhood would be able to survive another week without striking a decisive blow against our enemies.?

Boss Fen continued his circle around the table. It had been set promptly set up in a secondary location to act as the temporary meeting space of the Brotherhood, given the damage done to the Di Yu complex. All eyes in the room traced Boss Fen?s movements with great trepidation, but a few in the room also eyed the phone in front of Genji Chao wearily as well. Several of them had an idea as to whose voice would rise from it at any moment. Genji spoke up from her position at the right of the boss? empty chair.

?We have information that suggests that the Brotherhoods of Eternal Repose and The Jade Forest have now made attempts to establish a mutual ceasefire in hopes of destroying us in the wake of our distribution of Dragon?s Tongue. Our rivals? activities have only increased as of their meeting yesterday, and any further hesitation on our part would only lead to our demise. To this end, we have a plan of action.?

Boss Fen returned to his place at the table.

?We attack Sun Heights. Immediately.?

A collective murmur rose from the table. The task set before them was at best, daunting, at worst, insane. Sun Heights was the nexus of Eternal Repose?s activity. Any assault on that complex would result in swift retribution from the remaining members if it succeeded, and the unmitigated wrath of the entire Brotherhood if it failed.

?Some of you,? Boss Fen continued. ?Would believe such an assault to be impossible, given the amount of security in and around Sun Heights, as well as the fact that we would have no way of occupying it or demolishing it before being driven out by Eternal Repose and its allies. However, our aim is not to occupy or demolish it, but rather disable it. We will do so with the aid of one of our newest assets.?

Genji reached forward and pressed a button on the phone. All eyes turned to the red light on the phone.

?Go ahead.? She muttered into the phone.


?Thank you! Thank you brothers!? Razorback yelled into the skewed headset. ?And let me say again what a pleasure it is to be able to participate in an undertaking of this...this magnitu-tude.?

Razorback, still in his apartment, was addressing a number of unconscious or barely stirring individuals in chairs, whom he had arranged in a circle so that each one represented a member of the Brotherhood attending the meeting currently. Razorback insisted on adding the air of professionalism to his meetings by phone.

?Please proceed with the explanation, Razorback.? Genji?s stern voice issued into the headphones on Razorback?s head.

?Very, very well.? Razorback began pacing about the table clockwise, occasionally pointing to the part of the table where Seng, at the actual meeting, happened to be seated, his effigy was the bleeding man whom Seng himself had noticed before.

?As my friend Seng will show you, I have just developed a new drug that will serve to disable operations at Sun Heights for a long time.?

A shivering Seng, currently at the meeting, rose and produced a briefcase from under the table, which he propped open to reveal multiple vials of a clear liquid, packed in ice, and a red powder in a clear, sealed bag.

?This is a gas...eous drug that I have been spending the last month and a half developing for this very purpose, and I am pleased to say that it has exceeded all of my expectations in testing.?

Razorback took a moment to regard Seng?s chair before continuing.

?The gas is called ?Ataraxia?, and it is formed by combining two simple to develop binary agents which then crystallize and sublime at room temperature. The crystals release the gas itself, so the gas does not dissipate until the crystals themselves run dry or they are forcibly removed.?

Seng opened the bag of red powder cautiously, and sprinkled a pinch of the stuff onto the table before him. Two of the members nearest him backed their chairs away worriedly. Razorback stiffened.

?What was that??

?Two of our guests just distanced themselves from your friend.? Genji muttered into the phone. Razorback immediately circled the rest of the invisible table and began pushing the chair to Seng?s right away from him. He continued talking while doing so.

?The reaction that produces Ataraxia removes heat and oxygen from around itself when it does so, forming the crystals. After about a second, the ambient temperature causes the crystals to heat up beyond their sublimation point, and the gas is released. Because it requires oxygen to sublime, crystallized Ataraxia can be stored in a closed bottle or another container and it will not release gas until it is exposed to enough oxygen to start the reaction.?

Seng cautiously opened a vial and held it ominously over the red dust on the table. His hand visibly trembled while doing so. The screeching sound over the phone indicated that Razorback was currently moving the chair to Seng?s left away as well. All eyes watched worriedly as Seng began to tilt the vial to the side. Boss Fen looked at the powder hungrily.

?Do it.?

Seng closed his eyes, and let a small trickle of the clear fluid spill onto the table. The fluid ran over the red dust, and in an instant, the liquids hardened and became purple crystal. Before anyone could look twice, the crystal began disappearing and the thick purple smoke began to issue from it. Everyone began to tense in their chairs, but Seng leaned forward and breathed in the gas. Before his inhalation was even complete, he lost control of his legs and keeled over, cracking his head on the table. Once on the floor, he started twitching and babbling incoherently.

?Opiate save inebriated pithy convergence...?

?The gas causes a variety of neurological disorders upon inhalation.? Razorback continued, voice slightly lower. ?They include, as Seng is demonstrat-ating now, aphasia and ataxia. He is unable to control his own body movements, and cannot form coherent sentences, despite being under the mis-mistaken impression that he is speaking clearly.?

Boss Fen smiled, and a few people vacated their seats to get a better look at the convulsing Seng, who continued uttering nonsense. Genji rose from her seat, and men parted as she produced a needle, which she pressed slightly to remove bubbles.

?The effects of the gas, however, can be eliminated with a simple formula that lasts for several hours, and can be used to immunize against the effects of the gas, ensuring that we are not affec-ec-ected by it.?

Genji handed the needle to a man nearby, who quickly jabbed it into Seng?s jugular. A few moments later, the convulsions stopped, and Seng rose. The attendees backpedaled to allow Seng to return to his seat, holding his neck to prevent bleeding. A man leaned towards the phone and spoke shakily.

?What is this, this formula that prevents the effects of the drug??

Razorback chuckled.

?That?s need to know. Can?t have-have you telling everyone what it is under torture and making my newest creation useless.?

The inquisitor shivered and sat back down. Boss Fen turned to the phone.

?Tell them how long it lasts.?

Razorback turned to his audience in the chairs.

?Ah, of course. I have here with me a control group who I have tested it o-on...and after roughly a minute of expo-exposure the drug has exhibi-bi-bi-...?

Razorback paused, looking at every person in his apartment.

...bited a half life of twenty hours and counting. There has been no sign of improvement in the te-test subjects yet, and based on my lab testing I have reason to believe that they will not improve for at least another forty, and even then they will only regain full control again in very slow steps, starting with speech.?

?Your opinion, Razorback?? Boss Fen demanded.

?...It is my-my-my opinion that the effects will only disappear completely five days after exposure.?

Boss Fen rose from his place at the table.

?Five days, brothers. Five days that our enemies will be completely unable to use their hospital and base of operations. Five days that we will have to continue our distribution of Dragon?s Tongue unchallenged. Five days during which we can launch any other offensive strike we desire and fear not the retribution of our enemies. Brothers, if we can introduce this ?Ataraxia? into their hospital ventilation, we will cripple their entire medical team for five days and cause the deaths of dozens of their patients...including our traitor, Ghost Fox.?

Boss Fen slammed his fist on the table.

?This is an opportunity we cannot afford to let slip through our fingers. Send word out, we will attack the Sun Heights complex immediately, our priority being to choke the building with Ataraxia to eliminate the effectiveness of its staff. Razorback has already supplied us with enough of the binary agents and immunizations to supply a large force of men.?

?However, it is my understanding that Razorback has asked a particular request of us in exchange for his newest product.? Genji uttered from her place at the table. All eyes in the room turned to the phone. Razorback fell silent for a moment.

?I...I want a man, I want the name of a man.?

All eyes traced the room nervously.

?This man...killed a partner of ours, Yue...Yue Fu Shi, and he was a fr-friend of mine.?

Boss Fen spoke at the phone.

?Fear not. We will find this man and have him dealt with.?

Razorback strode forward.

?No, you wi...?

There was a tremendous crash and Razorback uttered a stifled yelp. Parties at the table leaned towards the phone. A number of expletives and muffled sounds issued from the phone.

?Razorback?? Genji asked. ?What is going on??

Razorback, in his impassioned walk around the table, had bumped into and toppled one of his test subjects, chair and all. He was now making an effort to get up and return the subject to her proper place in the chair.

?Razorback?? Genji demanded again. ?Are you all right??

Razorback set the chair back in its place and began lifting the woman back into it.

?You will not harm the man who did this. That will be my responsibili-lity.?

Boss Fen leered at the phone.

?You wish to execute this man personally??

Razorback got up and stood in the middle of the table.

?I prefer to just give him a headache.?

Boss Fen sat back down, he nodded curtly to Genji.

?Very well, Razorback, you will get your wish.? Genji spoke quietly. ?We will find out who did this to Yue Fu Shi and give you the responsible party?s name and location as soon as we get it, all right??

Razorback looked about the room.

?I assure you that he will be very awa-aware of my pain.?

?You should also know, Razorback,? Genji began. ?That earlier this evening, one of our associates, Zhi Chen, had his house raided and he and his partners were killed in the struggle. Chen himself was thrown from a balcony into oncoming traffic.?

Razorback paused.

?Leo? From a balcony? He...he always had acrophobia.?

?We have reason to believe that the parties responsible for their deaths were police, as criminal investigation cleanup teams were dispatched to Chen?s location shortly after the raid. We have reason to believe that, based on their proximity to Yue Fu Shi?s body, the same police officers are the ones responsible for his death as well.?

Another terrific crash. People in the meeting room began muttering.

?Razorback? Razorback, are you all right??

Razorback, in his apartment, was now madly stuffing bottles of chemicals and darts into a duffel bag. He had overturned another chair in his consternation, and he began once again fumbling for his dart gun. As he finally picked it up with his trembling right hand, he held it up against the top of his bald head.

?Well, I?m off to handle things, you kids know what to do without me. Don?t play with the Ataraxia, it?s not-not a toy.?

Razorback threw the headset off and depressed the trigger simultaneously, and a red dart punctured the top of his head. He stood there momentarily, then took a deep breath, coughed a few times, and flung himself through his apartment door, stomping loudly down the stairs. He paused halfway down, then stomped back into the apartment, and looked around at all his test subjects.

?None of you get better and leave while I?m gone, o-okay??

He cast them all a wary look before turning around, and stomping back out.[/size]