by G L Rathweg
I opened my eyes and now knew what to do. After a couple deep breaths, I leaped out into the wild blue yonder and immediately began falling like a rock. The monsters were still a hundred yards away, but they quickly dived down to intercept me in my uncontrolled fall. I closed my eyes and accessed my Ki Soul using all three of the different Ki Elements focusing Fire Ki on my feet, Water Ki on my hands, and Earth Ki around my body.
While I wasn’t able to fly exactly, I was able to now control my movement through the air as I fell. My feet superheated the air around them changing the flow of air and helped me guide my directions. The evil crow monsters had thought I was just going to fall into their three clawed grasps, but I dodged two and connected with the third. I hit it like a cannonball and the pair of us began to tumble wildly through the air.
The monster was bigger than me and I was in it’s natural element, but I was grappling with it and it didn’t have arms. Not only that but its bones were hollow and I was sure I outweighed it. On top of that I was pissed off and here to save my girl and my grandma. My Earth Ki covered Iron Body was protected from the worst of it’s clawed attacks. It on the other hand was not protected from my Water Ki punches and elbows or my Fire Ki kicks and knees.
I literally took the fucker apart in midair just in time to see it’s two buddies come in on kamikaze attacks. This time instead of super heating the air I used Water Ki pulling moisture out of the air making it cold and wet. Then, I hit it with Fire Ki and watched steam burst free. The cloud gave me some camouflage, but the two monster crows were too far along in their dive to pull out and both entered the cloud. I flared my Fire Ki at the last second and shot up over pair, hearing the crunch of them colliding in the obscuring cloud just as I exited.
The cloud dispersed in the wind and the two crows fell down dead from their collision. As before the sky disappeared, but this time I was six feet in the air horizontal and I fell to the abandoned building floor in a lung dispersing belly flop. A minute later and after much laughing by spirit and lion, I retrieved the three glowing almost clear tennis ball sized orbs and held them up to my amulet.
The amulet glowed almost translucently while it took in the Ki energy then went back to normal and the balls crumbled in my hands. A quick wipe of my palms and I accessed my Ki Bar.
AIR KI AQUIRED…
KI BAR – 155/400
WATER KI BAR – 65/100
FIRE KI BAR – 58/100
EARTH KI BAR – 87/100
AIR KI – 16/100
“That is the end of the minions. I can sense your women they are on the next floor up with Wiman, She-He, and that Nick fellow. Take a moment to recover your Ki and ready yourself. Then we will go up and finish this.” Dangun said.
I nodded as I sat in Lotus, clearing my mind and recovering my Ki to full. I readied myself mentally for the final battle. This was it, after all the trials, tribulations, trainings, and ups and downs, I was finally here. It was time to save my girl Tiffany, my grandma, and take revenge for all the shit those bastards had put us through.
A few minutes later I was ready and all my Ki Bars were full. I told Dangun as much and we headed to the elevator entered. Once inside, I took a deep steadying breath and pushed the penthouse button. The doors closed and we started our way up to the top floor and the end of our long journey.
TRACK 21 – RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW – FATBOY SLIM
The elevator rose as normal. The song Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by Culture Club came on and I started bobbing to the beat as I liked that song. Who cares if it was elevator music? I sure didn’t it was a damn good song. Static sounded out, cutting the song off and a man’s voice came out in its place.
“Hello Dangun, it has been sometime old friend.” The staticky voice said, with a very pronounced Asian accent so bad that it was almost comical and I couldn’t help it and burst out laughing.
“We are not friends Wiman.” Dangun replied, cold fury in his tone at the voice of his betrayer.
“What is so funny?” The bad Asian accent snapped.
“You… you are… your… stupid… accent…” I gasped, chortling and gasping for air it was so funny.
He even had a lisp like She-He so him getting angry made it even more hilarious. My laughter was so much that it was contagious and even Dangun started laughing. Now, I know this may seem racist but it’s not. I’m of Korean descent and Dangun practically invented the term Asian or Korea. Sometimes things are funny no matter what and they transcend race, creed, religion, or affiliation. This fuckwit’s accent was one of those things.
“I was trying to be civil, but your idiot disciple has ruined it. I hope you enjoy all the wasted effort Dangun as the boy dies. Did you think it would be so easy as for him to just ride a lift to my lair?” Wiman scoffed.
The elevator stopped moving upward and shuddered to a halt.
“You know, for a moment there I did. I really did.” I said, looking at Dangun.
“Goodbye Dangun, see you next time you have a physical host. Oh, wait another thousand years or so? Ha, Ha! Any last words boy, before you die due to your Master’s failures?” Wiman asked, with a laugh.
“Yippee Ki Yay Motherfucker!” I shouted, flicking off the camera that I now noticed in the elevator’s upper righthand corner.
The voice cut out and the music continued again then the elevator made a crazy grinding breaking noise and began to fall the eighteen stories back down the shaft. I jumped up and flared Fire Ki on my fist giving the camera a Street Fighter Dragon Uppercut and knocking it out of commission. Dangun had disappeared and Freak was floating next to me in the air mewling loudly. Iheard the old spirits voice and I began looking around wildly.
“Look up daft boy!” Dangun shouted. I saw his head sticking out of what looked to be the elevator’s access hatch.
I jumped up grabbed the hatch lever and pushed the hatch out of the way then pulled myself up on to the top of the falling elevator.
“Jump!” Dangun called.
I looked around as the floors went by way too fucking fast and looked for something to grab onto.
“There isn’t time boy, jump!” Dangun yelled, again.
I took a breath and did as he said and leaped to the side of the elevator shaft and grabbed at a ledge hitting it hard with both arms elbows akimbo. All the air went out of my lungs and it hurt like a mother fucker, but as I looked down and saw the elevator continue down at rapid speed all the pain went away. I cringed, as it hit bottom of the elevator shaft with a loud ear deafening crash of wrecked metal and other now garbage materials.
“That what was too fucking close.” I whispered, Freak growling in agreement from my shoulder.
“It was. Next time jump when I tell you boy. Now, start climbing up. You fell down about halfway. Tat’s nine floors bucko. Meet you at the top.” Dangun said, floating up, up, and away.
Freak roared and then leaped into the air following the spirit.
“Traitors!” I called, raising a fist at the two and immediately regretting it as I almost lost my grip on the ledge of the elevator platform.
“Traitors…” I whispered this time and began climbing my way the long nine stories back up the elevator shaft to the penthouse.
MEANWHILE UPSTAIRS IN THE PENTHOUSE OF THE ABANDONED BUILDING NOW KNOWN AS WIMAN’S LAIR…
“Ha, Ha! Say goodbye to your boyfriend and grandson.” Wiman cackled, pointing and laughing at Tiffany and an old woman sitting next to her on a pretty comfortable looking black leather sofa.
“Yeah, the stupid fuckboy is finally dead.” Nick guffawed, from behind the couch where he stood like a douche with his arms crossed over his chest and black Oakley’s on.
“Go fuck yourself Nick. You had to drop him in an elevator to kill him. You couldn’t even fight him yourself. Plus, you look like an asshole douchebag with that leather jacket and those sunglasses inside at night.” Tiffany spat, over her shoulder with a bit of difficulty since her hands and feet were tied in front of her.
“You damn Chinese son of a bitch! I told my boy that you people were god damn sons of bitches!” The old lady roared.
She was also tied up with her hands and feet in front of her. Even though she was small and incapacitated she was fiery, so I understood why she was bound.
“Oh, do be quiet you old bag, all you barbarians are the same, foul mouthed and ill mannered. The old are no exception. The boy is dead! Now, tell me where your son is or I will kill the girl!” Wiman shouted.
“I already told you I don’t know where that piece of garbage of a human being is, you little shrimp slant eye!” The old woman shouted, in derision while miming tiny penis with her bound hands.
Wiman’s eyes narrowed and he motioned to She-He who was standing in front of the elevator doors.
“Fine, have it your way hag. Kill the girl.” Wiman commanded.
“With pleasure.” She-He replied, walking slowly over to the couch and holding out a hand that burst into flame.
She-He stopped a foot from Tiffany and bent over her holding his fire covered fist just an inch from her face. The heat was so close it began to make her sweat and turn her skin red. She swallowed and gave the old woman a brave face.
“Fuck them both grandma!” Tiffany hissed, and spit in She-He’s face.
“Die bitch!” She-He roared, rearing his arm back and throwing a punch at the girl’s unprotected head.
Then a resounding boom sounded out behind them. She-He stopped his punch mid swing and turned along with everyone else to the ear deafening boom that came again.
The booming continued like a metronome once a second and all eyes were riveted to it. The elevator’s double doors burst outward and fell to the ground with a bone numbing crash. Dust from the ripped drywall hung in the air obscuring the newly doorless portal, but a figure could be seen standing there.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Nick said softly, while lowering his sunglasses to get a better look.
Four demon guards appeared as if from nowhere and faced the broken portal.
The dust cleared and standing there was me, Hiro Jones. I had been at the elevator doors for a while, but I’d had to catch my breath and regain my Ki after the climb. It took me a minute, but I heard everything that had been said inside for the last few minutes. I had waited to make my entrance at the last second for surprise and coolness factor.
“Hiro!” Tiffany cried.
“I knew you weren’t dead boy.” My grandma said, with a laugh.
Dangun, Freak, and I stepped onto the floor three abreast and in that order. I winked at Tiffany and smiled at my grandma as I took in the scene. The penthouse was large and looked to have been converted to one large sitting room that was more throne room, with Wiman in the rear center. He was on what could only be described as a fucking throne.
Four bodyguards that were way stronger than the guys below were fanned out in a half moon in front of Wiman. She-He stood about halfway between the throne and us and the couch was back next to the throne with my grandma and Tiffany and Nick was behind that. Dangun made use of the momentary silence and addressed his traitorous exfriend.
“Wiman you have fallen even further then I thought was possible. We have come to end you and your evil.” Dangun said, his voice full of cold fury.
“Dangun, Dangun, it is bad for the skin to hold on to grudges for so long. Oh wait, you are dead. Ha, Ha, Ha!” Wiman cackled.
“Yes, due to you and the others betrayal I am dead. But don’t worry you will soon be as well Wiman. I will have my revenge.” Dangun replied.
“Good luck ghost. Kill the boy and get me the amulet.” Wiman commanded.
She-He nodded and motioned for the four guards to attack and they moved up stopping just six feet away from me.
“These are my elite bodyguards. I have trained each one and all are skilled in their element. Goodbye boy. Kill him.” She-He commanded, with a wave of his hand.
All four guards activated their Ki and each one burst out in a different element. There was an Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water Martial Cultivator, respectively from right to left. They dressed the same as the other guards with black suits, ties, white shirts, and such. But I could sense their strength immediately, the way they took their offensive stances and spaced themselves out showed they were no novices.
Neither was I though, after my time in the Spirit World I was nowhere near the boy I was before. The Wind Martial Cultivator came first rushing in almost faster than I could see with a knee strike, but I flared Wind Ki of my own and dodged just out of the way. Then I delivered a back handed strike from the side knocking him away dazed. The Earth Martial Cultivator came next flaring his light brown colored Ki and rushing me like a bull. I just flared Earth Ki of my own and threw a forward straight punch that connected with his face and rocked him back matching his strength with strength.
The Fire and Water Martial Cultivators came in tandem and I met each one’s burning strike and water blast with the conflicting Element and parried and dodged. There was a lull in their attack, so I stepped in firing off my own Water Blast and nailing the Fire Martial Cultivator center mass. Then knocking the Water Martial Cultivator back with a shift to Fire Ki. Where I connected with two rapid blows to his unprotected side.
All four guards had recoiled and were looking from each other to me with a newfound respect.
“Idiots! Attack him together!” She-He roared.
And as if a lightbulb went off in all their heads at once they did. Water Blasts fired at me, Wind guy rushed me with Earth guy and Fire guy. But that was ok because they had been weighed, they had been measured, and they had been found wanting. I loved that line! Anyway, I knew I outclassed these bozos and I was ready for them to attack.
“Lightning Step!” I called, then flashed behind the Wind demon striking out with Earth Ki covered elbows and knees.
Before he could recover, I quickly switched to Fire Ki and gave two quick blows to his face dropping him to the ground. Still not done, I Lightning Stepped again this time behind the Earth user demon. His Earth Ki made his body strong, not Iron Body strong but strong nonetheless so I improvised. By combining Earth Ki on one hand and Fire Ki on the other I lit into his kidneys on both sides as fast and hard as I could. My Fire Ki softened the spot and my Earth Ki capitalized on it. In a few seconds, the demon was spitting blood and dropping to his knees.
That wasn’t the end yet and I continued my attack and Lightning Stepped to the Water user demon knocking him out and then to the Fire user demon doing the same by quenching his fire with water and then beating the shit out of him. I stopped then and posed doing my best Bruce Lee imitation, pointing at She-He and doing the neck cutting motion with my thumb.
“Boy…” She-He growled, then disappeared from my sight.
Then, a presence appeared behind me.
“…did you think you were the only one who can Lightning Step.” She-He finished, then struck me in the back knocking me across the room.
I rolled for a moment then popped back up crouching in a defensive stance, but She-He was gone again.
“Who is the Master here boy?” She-He hissed, reappearing behind me again.
This time I was ready for him but even though I knew he was coming I couldn’t capitalize and soon I was rolling across the floor again. This time when I popped back up a bit of blood flecked my lips. She-He didn’t disappear again. Instead, he stood there and sneered at me.
“Do you think that you are the only Iron Body practitioner I’ve faced? I’ve been around for millennia you idiot. I know more than your puny brain can ever fathom.” He hissed, disappearing again.
He reappeared next to me and knocked me flying again.
“I have watched kingdoms rise and fall. I have killed more people than wars and plagues. I have destroyed your kind over and over again.” He hissed, repeating his move again successfully.
He let me stand up and I had to admit I was a bit worse for wear. My face was bruised, my body was bruised, I was ble
eding from quite a few spots, and my dope ass white jumpsuit was torn and dirty as hell. She-He glared at me for a second then disappeared and reappeared in front of me just inches away.
“I said, who is the Master?” He said, with a smile.
“Sho’ Nuff?” I said, sarcastically then launched a kick at his side.
Which the man easily blocked. Not only that, but grabbed and held my kick against his side.
“Your sarcasm is as idiotic as your Martial Skills are weak.” She-He taunted, then flared his Ki and punched me four or five times, I wasn’t sure I just knew they hurt, in rapid succession.
Each blow connected with the side of my head and with the final blow he let go of my leg and launched me halfway across the room again. This time when I hit, I was terribly slow to get up. My body hurt in about a dozen places, my head being the worst of them. I was trying to stand when Freak came over and stood between me and She-He growling and roaring. The thing was he was still in his small form.
“You think you can stop me?” She-He laughed, stalking towards my tiny friend.
“No, I can’t but he will.” I said, closing my eyes and focusing my Ki Soul.
A second later all the different Elemental Ki inside me rushed from my amulet and into Freak turning him a rainbow of colors. More importantly was that he grew rapidly, till he was that ten-foot-tall Celestial Lion I had come to know and love. She-He paused and didn’t take another step the color draining from his face and his confident mocking grin replaced by fear.
“Get em’ boy.” I said, from my prone position on the ground bleeding, bruised, broken boned, but full of righteous sweet satisfaction as Freak stalked towards She-He.
The ancient Martial Artist Cultivator tried to turn and run but my lion leaped forward faster than She-He could even try to Lightning Step away. I closed my eyes as Freak pounced on his back and proceeded to render She-He into bite size pieces. A loud burp signaled Freak had finished and when I opened my eyes again, I shuddered at the remains of She-He. I gave my lion a pat on the back as he licked his bloodstained maw and paws off. Then I turned my attention to the last bad guy standing.
