13. Crowded streets

The ge is an ancient Chinese weapon. Ge means "fighting" in Chinese. To the simple observer, it can be described as a spear. But the ge uses a bronze blade tied to the end of a long staff. The blade is almost as long as a one-handed sword.

RD had survived the explosion caused by two converging fireballs shot at him by his attackers. He was able to run away hoping to loose them in this rainy night. Again, he is caught between the two, in a crowded city street full of young professionals partying in the rain. One of his adversaries is in the air, dropping down on him with a dagger in hand. The other, on the ground, a ge in hand, about to strike him. He needs to act fast to survive this. He needs to make his move at just the right moment.

The spear thrust is coming in first, he lifted his body up with his two hands, both toes pushed down on the streat. He then used his right hand to push himself further up while keeping his right hand planted on the ground for support and balance. He twisted his body rightward avoiding the ge from slicing him from the right neck down to his heart, slicing droplets instead from the sky.

As he cleared the spear, RD bent his left arm using his elbow now for support. He laid on the street as the dagger wielding attacker is within a few feet from him. He then pulled his knees toward his chest, placed his two hands on the ground beside his head and kicked off upward as the dagger strike missed his legs by inches.

RD used the strength of his arms to push his body upward, lifting himself feet first off the ground. As he pushed up, he pulled swung his feet forward making a reverse tumble landing on the concrete pavement facing the two attackers.

By now, the crowd had recovered from the initial shock of seeing three people jump down a five story building making perfect landings that only movie stunt men and some post production editing can do. Some pulled out their camera phones to try and take a picture of the scene.

One of the attackers noticed the photo taking and clapped his hands together, the dagger no longer in his hands.

"Magneto!" chanted the clapper.

Mobile phones and some exterior lights burst starting near where the three fighters stood moving outward as if an invisible concentric wave washed over them.

Recognizing the opportunity, RD crossed his arms in front of him, the middle of the 'X' right in front of his face, and pulled them diagonally downward.

"Dos Kampilan!" he chanted.

A stream of light crawling through his forearm revealed hidden symbols flashing out of his almost fair complexion that he got for staying indoors in an air-conditioned office most of the day. As the light continues its travel, now in RDs elbows, a rod of straight light emanated from RDs hands. When his hands reached his side, the lights have now vanished and in each hand, a broad sword typical of those used by early Filipinos.

"Now, we can have a real fight," said the ge wielding attacker.

He is a she, thought RD when he heard the voice. "What is it that you want with me," asked RD the strain of the chase and the fighting now evident in his breathing.

"We only want the information that you have," answered the dagger striking attacker now holding a katana.

"What information," RD asked, puzzled what is happening. He was supposed to go home after buying some tikoy in Binondo. Now the tikoy is left drenched in the street near Quezon Bridge. He dropped it when he was attacked.

"You may not remember it," said the katana wielding assailant, "but you have it. You hid it from everyone even from yourself. That old man you talked to knew about you possessing it but he does not know what it is."

"We share the same powers," said the woman stepping sidewards to RDs right. "That is a good enough clue for you."

"And this information must not come out," the man said as he took his position to RDs left.

"How can it come out if I can't even remember it," protested RD keeping watch on the movements of the two attackers, readying himself.

"Even if you can't remember it," explained the man, "someone can make you."

"And we don't want that," finished the woman lunging forward, the long ge pointed at RDs neck.

RD bent his body to the left to avoid the strike. He then twisted his right wrist to hit the staff with his sword. At the same time, the man on his left took a step forward made a horizontal slash toward his midsection. RD blocked this with the sword on his left.

"This is insane," grunted RD as he parried the sword slash and made a slash to the man's neck slicing the cloak.

The woman pulled at the spear and pushed it toward RDs chest. RD blocked it with his sword, turned counterclockwise swinging his sword to the woman's head. The woman kept the spear in place, bent her neck putting it in between her arms avoiding RDs strike, twisted the spear so that the sharpened edge faced RD, pulled it back while swinging it toward his back.

RD completed his turn brought the swing of the heavy sword, lifted his left arm to avoid the spear slash, and pushed forward the sword on his right to push off the spear. At the same time, he placed his right hand behind his head, the sword diagonally protecting his back from sword slash from behind.

Having blocked the spear slash and the sword strike, RD quickly twisted the sword in his right keeping in contact with the spear staff to point it downward while he twisted his sword behind him to point it toward his left securing the katana.

In a swift movement, he pushed the katana sidewards away from his back as he guided the spear over his head to his right, rain water splashing from the lion's beard decoration of the spear. This is a form of distraction that did not bother RD. He continued the pushing motion of both arms, his left hand changing it to a swing, again, toward the woman's head. His right arm also changed from pushing the staff to swinging, this one toward the man's neck.

Both attackers jumped back to avoid the slash and give some distance between themselves and RD.

RD now assumed an attack-defend position, his body in a 45 degree angle with the straight line represented by the two attackers on both sides. His kampilan on both hands ready to strike or to block.