16. Place to re-create

Remedios circle. Located at the intersection of Remedios, Bocobo and Nakpil in Malate, Manila.

This place is a recreation area constructed to provide the residents of Manila a place to relax.

This is during the day. At night, the place is a venue for late night pick-ups. A market for the flesh.

Even late in the evening and after a light drizzle, the plaza is still clattered with people. There are couples who go out for a nice evening walk. Some street children are also out to play. There are pimps, prostitutes and their patrons, vendors, and clients of restaurants and cafes surrounding the place.

The crowd is about to get bigger.

Bigger by four more individuals. But this group is not here to relax or trade or have some sip of coffee. They are here to battle.

RD ran straight toward the center of the plaza. Behind him, is the cloaked warrior whose blue wave-like fire ball gave them space and time to escape from two other similarly clad warriors.

RD is not sure if this new guy is here to save him. This person may be here as part of a "play" to lure him somewhere else. But he put those thoughts aside for now. Right now, he needs to get away.

One of the attackers, a female, was able to get on top of one of the buildings straddling Bocobo street. She held her hands together. Light tracing the markings on her arms illuminated from under her cloak. At it reached her hands, a series of fireballs shot toward RD. First one, then another, then another.

People began to scream. They started running away from the scene. Some on lookers started coming out of the restaurants or began peeking through the windows.

As the first fireball is about to reach RD, another fireball intercepted it. It blew up in mid air. But two more are coming. The place is now in chaos.

RD's new "ally" was throwing one fireball after another at the on coming shots from the female attacker. He intercepted all three. But he was not paying attention to the male attacker.

The male attacker is running on top the buildings that sit between Remedios and Bocobo opposite the one where the female attacker is perched. He is trying to outflank them. A bow and arrow in his hands.

He stops, pulls the string tight, aims the arrow at RD and shoots.

The newcomer did not notice him, but RD did. He already picked up a bag that somebody has dropped and was swinging it toward the archer in the same moment the arrow was released.

The arrow penetrated the bag. The force pushed the bag back. But another arrow is on the way. And there is no other bag around.

RD side-stepped toward a garbage collection barrel to his right, pushed himself off the ground with his left leg and stepped on the barrel rim with his right. He then bent his knee and pushed off the barrel to again change his direction toward the left. As he did this, he twisted his body clockwise and placed his right hand near his face. As he turned, he saw the arrow. He adjusted his hand and parried the deadly projectile away from his body. His body continued in its motion to complete a diagonal somersault.

Another arrow is on its way.

RD landed kneeling on one knee facing the archer. He saw the glint of the third arrow. He shifted his weight to his left and caught the arrow with his left hand. Then he swung his right hand and released a projectile shaped like a six-pointed star and three feet in diameter toward the archer. The archer was busy shooting down RD that he did not notice the weapon form as RD was completing his aerial roll.

The star split into two three-pointed stars. Each star swung in an arc, one to the left and the other to the right. Then they changed directions to converge at the point where the archer, ready to release his fourth arrow, is standing.

By that time, the female attacker has now repositioned herself toward the building corner near Adriatico. She jumped off to the ground.

Using the glare from the restaurant windows as a distraction, she ran back toward the direction of Bocobo. As she ran, she threw several bolts of electricity that jumped from one puddle to the other, racing toward the new warrior and RD. There are ten bolts in all crisscrossing the wet cobblestones.

On the other side of the circle, the two star-shaped projectiles caught the attention of the archer.

He jumped backward and adjusted his aim.

He released.

The two spinning projectiles met at the point where the archer was used to be. They did not collide. They spun through and continued on a figure eight direction to once again meet where the archer is supposed to be landing.

RD jumped away from where he knelt. His direction will put him in a puddle. And a puddle is a dangerous place when electricity is concerned.

The blue-flame-powered warrior leaped and caught RD as he is about to land on the puddle. This meant the RD is not going to be electrocuted. Not yet.

As they rolled, the warrior made a shield materialized just in time for the electric bolts to converge on them. The impact of the bolts on the shield shattered them. But they did not dissipate. Instead they blew up creating tens of bolts that burned anything it got into contact with.

The ground is wet. RD is wet. And he is lying on the ground. As residual bolts hit the ground. RD felt some shock.

He trembled. His joints began to hurt. And he curled from the pain.

The warrior heard RD whimper. He has to make a decision. He cannot see the archer now. He may have been hit by RDs projectiles but we was not sure. He looked for the female assailant. He cannot find her. People have started coming out of the restaurants.

They must get away.

15. Reunited

The dragon shrieked then shot green flame toward the ground, burning the vehicles on the streets as it traced a flaming line toward JJ.

JJ ran as fast has he could. The flame and the dragon right behind him. He has got to reach the corner several meters away and try to duck somewhere. He hoped. He tried. He can save himself from the flame. At the dragon's speed, it and the flame will overshoot JJ once he makes a quick right.

And it did when JJ made a quick right, the heat searing through his clothes while the flame barely grazing him. He saw a door. He turned the knob. It's locked. Horror gripping him, JJ turned to look for another way in only to find out that one of his assumptions was wrong. The dragon was able to make a sudden stop. It is now hovering in front of him, large wings flapping.

The dragon with its long neck, moved its head near JJ and shrieked. At first, JJ smelled the foul odor of sulfur from the dragon's breath blow at him. Then everything grew bright green as a blast of flame engulfed him.

JJ screamed. But he does not feel any heat. He opens his eyes and looks around.

He was feeling disoriented. He tried to make sense of where he was. The last thing he remembers is seeing a bright light at the end of the dark basement of JFK International Airport.

He looked up the ceiling. It looks old. The wooden materials is stained. He can hear the sound of busy streets outside.

Where could he be, he asks himself. His bed is comfortable enough though he can feel the springs push on to his back.

Then he remembered the dragon.

Quickly looked at his arms. No burn marks.

He touched his face. No burn marks there either.

Then he remembered about the joke they used to talk about in high school. It is about a cream locally called "sebo de macho."

Maybe they have a very effective one here, he thought. And asked himself, where is here?

Then the door knob clicks. He sat up, anticipating what will come through the old delapidated door.

What came in made him smile. It's his son, Albert, and wife Katrina.

Albert ran up to his father and jumped on his bed. He was so excited to see his father.

Katrina was less excited even with the smile on her face. JJ quickly saw the reason why. Behind Katrina is the Chinese who saved him back at the airport.

"Good to know you are well now," said Quan Tie now wearing white Chinese clothes. "I was worried when you collapsed on our way out."

JJ sighed. "Well, should I thank you," JJ asked. Katrina just standing there, seeming nervous but still smiling.

"All will be explained," assured Quan. "Right now, I leave you with your family."

With that, Quan stepped away and closed the door. JJ heard the lock click. They are locked in from outside.

As soon as the lock was in place, Katrina slackened and ran to her husband.

"Oh my God," she whispered, tears running down her face. She was shaking. "Who are these people? Why do they know us by name? Why did they bring us here?"

Albert, oblivious to what is happening, just stared at his parents.

"I don't know," answered JJ wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I don't know baby. We will find out soon."

Katrina sat up. "They said they are keeping us here. To be safe. But safe from who?"

"I am not sure," said JJ still cuddling Albert. "I am confused. Are you guys alright?"

"They gave me McDonald's," Albert said gayly. Of the three of them, he is the only one who does not seem to mind what is happening.

"It also came with an action figure," he said fishing out a small Doc Ock toy.

"Where are we," JJ asked his wife. "Do you know where we are?"

"We are somewhere in downtown Manhattan," she answered. "The van that took us here was heavily tinted. I was only able to take a peek through the windshield. I think it's Manhattan. I recognized the bridge."

"How long was I out?"

"Not long. We missed our flight. They will be waiting for us in Manila."

"Did you see any phones around here?"

"Just the one at the lobby."

"Is this some kind of a hotel?"

"I think so, but it looks deserted and old," said Katrina scanning the room.

"I just had the wildest dream," said JJ holding his head. Albert now sat on the chair near the bedside table playing with his toy.

"It's the same dream," JJ said. "I have been having this dream for days now."

"What dream," asked Katrina.

JJ narrated his dream while Katrina listened.

"I remember you waking up at night screaming and sweating," Katrina said. "Why are you having this dream? Have you consulted anyone?"

"No. I was going to ask an albularyo when we got to Tarlac but now we're seem to be stuck here."

Katrina moved closer and hugged her husband.

There was a knock on the door and the locked clicked again. Both waited for the door to open not knowing who may come in.

Quan opened the door. His face still without expression.

"Time to go. It is time you know who you are, why you are here, and what is your destiny."